Heart of a Volunteer
by cathrineoriginal
Summary: Ava Marie Johnson loved planes, but after her father passed away, she closed the door to that part of her life and decided to become a nurse along with her sister to help other people and slowly putting her shattered heart back together. But what happens when a certain pilot opens her eyes and heart to something she holds dear. And what about the war that's coming quickly?
1. Chapter 1

**So... I'm trying to crawl out from the rock I've been hiding under. I once again deleted this story, because I just didn't feel it anymore. Then I read through it one more time, and I just felt as if there was some unfinished business with the story. As if I can't let it go somehow.**

 **Anyway. I remembered that I started writing this story last year but I never thought it was good enough. So now, I'll try again. Inspired by listening to the Soundtrack while cleaning my house this weekend.**

 **Enjoy, and let me know what you think! (I hope you haven't lost complete faith in me)**

 ** _I do not own "Pearl Harbor" only my Oc._**

 ***cathrineoriginal***

* * *

 _Kentucky, Blue Grass Region, 1923_

Four-and-a-half-year-old Ava Marie Johnson has always been a good girl. She did everything her father taught her to do. Still, Ava was a free spirit and never cared about her surroundings, about the ethics that followed womanhood. From birth, she has always been a daddy's girl. She would go to the garage with him and spend hours trying to make their plane functioning or helping her father with the horses. She was a resourceful little girl and she loved the plane rides with her father.

One warm summer evening, Ava kept her eyes closely to the harmonic sky and her mind just wandered like always. Ava couldn't stop thinking about the things happening outside her world. How things worked, how the people treated each other, and if she ever good be as good as her father. Her dad was a good man, served the Army during the World War before she was born. Her 2-year-older sister, Evelyn, were born during the war and Ava were born in December 1918. Ava's mother died during birth, so she didn't have a mother to grow up with. Her mother's sister, their Aunt Anna, decided to move in with them on the farm to help. Evelyn grew attached to her Aunt but Ava remained attached to her father and that's how it's always been.

Ava loved being outside with her father, Ray, at sunset. Just lying out in the fields with the horses around them, but Ava always had a yearning towards the sky. She wanted to be like the birds; flying around, doing something good in the world.

"Papa?" Ava said with a whisper as they laid in the fields as they did every sunset.

"Yes, my little Aviator." Her father said, turning his head to look at her.

"I want to be a flyer when I grow up." Ava told him firmly and it made the older man laugh.

"Why doesn't that surprise me?" He muttered under his breath. "Now, why do you want to do that?"

"Because you do, Papa. And I want to go visit Mama in heaven." Ava told him honestly. "That's where Mama is, right?"

"Yes, my sweet little girl. Your Mama is in heaven."

"So, when I fly a plane like you, I can go up there and visit her, right? And maybe I can help fighting the bad guys like you did, Dada." Ava asked, believing like an almost five-year-old would.

Ray looked down on his youngest daughter with amazement. She was more like him than he ever thought. He brought his daughter tighter into his embrace.

"Of course, you can, Ava. Of course, you can." Ray whispered and kissed his daughter's forehead.

"If only you could." He said mostly to himself after his daughter fell asleep in his arms. He didn't want to move an inch to wake her but then little beautiful Evelyn came towards them with Aunt Anna.

"Did you finally get her to sleep?" Anna whispered as they sat down next to Ray and sleeping Ava.

"Yes, finally. She would not stop talking about being a pilot and fighting bad guys and visiting her mother." Ray told them and Evelyn just snorted. She couldn't believe that her little sister acted like a boy.

"Does it surprise you?" Anna asked with a little laugh. "She has her mother's love for the greatest adventures and the bravery from you."

"What about me?" Evelyn asked, not trying to sound too jealous towards her little sister.

"You have the compassion of your mother and your stubbornness from your father." Anna answered her truthfully. Both of the girls was one of a kind, even though they looked different.

Evelyn had their mother's brown hair and eyes. Ava had her dad's features with reddish-blond hair and warm eyes. Little Ava was special with one brown and one blue eye. A perfect combination of both her parents.

Both Anna and Evelyn sat down next to Ray silently. He looked down at his sleeping daughter before looking at his oldest one.

"I know that you're going through a difficult time right now, that makes you jealous of your little sister, and she may be young, but as she'll get older, she will need you and you'll need her." Ray told his oldest daughter.

"I can try." Evelyn sighed truthfully. Ray hugged his oldest daughter close.

"That's all I'm asking." Ray said softly.

They all ended up staying out on the field for the night. Ray missed his wife so much but he wouldn't trade his daughters for anything in the world to get her back. He had anything he could ever dream of having.

* * *

The first years after that went by smoothly but when Ava turned 13, she turned around completely. She started to spend more time with her Aunt and sister, and less time with her father. She still was a daddy's girl but other stuff became more important as she became older. But still, Ray's little girls turned out to be the most wonderful young women. Ava looked up to Evelyn and that was the only thing Ray wanted. His two daughters were as close as they could get and still, Ava never missed a day with her father when he was about to go out flying. As she grew older, Ava helped her father by flying the plane by herself and she loved the feeling of being free. Up in the clouds, was the place she felt most at home.

Ava loved her life and couldn't ask for anything else. She loved her Aunt Anna, her sister Evelyn and she simply adored her father, and no matter what, they would always be there for each other.

But what Ava not expect, was when her father got sick.

Just before Ava turned 18, Ray got cancer and died within a few months. Evelyn and Ava used all their time on taking care of their father and Ava even took him out for one last ride on his precious plane. After that, both Ava and Evelyn decided they wanted to do good and started training to become a nurse. They wanted to help other sick people after the devastating loss of their father. Ava took it so hard; she never looked at or worked on the plane ever again. The memory was too painful. But to honor her dad, Ava decided to become a nurse for the army along with her older sister.

This was where she belonged but what Ava didn't know at the time, was the fact that she would honor her father in a scarier way than she ever predicted.

The scary way was; when the Second World War reached Pearl Harbor, the day before her birthday on December 7, 1941. The day that changed history and their lives forever.

* * *

 **Let me know what you think!**

 ***cathrineoriginal***


	2. First Meeting

**Thank for your thoughts on my story! It means a lot to me. Please continue with that. The next chapter awaits you, and I hope you'll like this as well.**

 **Read, review and enjoy this next chapter.**

 _ **I do not own "Pearl Harbor" only my OC.**_

 ***cathrineoriginal***

* * *

 _January, 1941_

The Second World War was a fact, even though it hadn't reached America yet. Both Ava and Evelyn had much to do, considering the medical tests for the navy. At this moment, Ava and Evelyn was on their way to New York City with the other nurses to meet Evelyn's boyfriend. They had some time off and wanted to spend the day with handsome pilots.

Ava was happy for her older sister, as she never thought about the act of love. She just never found anyone she really fancied. To be honest, she didn't even want to come to this thing but she did it for her sister. Her boyfriend, Rafe, was a good-looking gentleman and he was a sweetheart. His friend was a little strange though and managed to annoy her beyond reason.

Ava looked over at the girls, and they were fawning over Evelyn and her story. Ava understood them, it was taken out of a fairytale.

Ava smiled for herself as the train charged towards New York City.

"I can't believe it" Betty exclaimed, bringing Ava out of her own head.

"Saturday night in New York City. Do you know what they're doing where I come from? Nothing. Cow tipping."

"Well, that's why you joined the navy, hon. To get out of that dusty little town and see the world." Barbara said, patting the young Betty on the leg.

"May I remind you, Barbara, we're nurses, not tourists." Sandra said and Ava had to fight the urge to roll her eyes at her fellow nurse. Evelyn looked over at Ava, knowing how her sister would react, and they silently exchanged looks.

"I joined to do my patriotic duty and to meet guys." Martha said, fixing herself up.

"Me too." Betty exclaimed excitedly. Ava looked over at Betty, her best friend, Betty. She was the cutest of them all, but she was so young. She still had so much to learn.

"Girls, we're going to have so much fun tonight in the city." Evelyn told them and Ava could actually agree with that.

"You've got to tell the story, Evelyn." Barbara exclaimed.

"What?" Martha asked.

"Oh, no. Not the story..." Ava said in a groan. She didn't want to hear the story on how her older sister fell in love, it only reminded Ava on the fact that she wasn't in love, and she was a little jealous.

"Oh, shush Ava!" Betty said, playfully hitting her best friend. "Come on, Evelyn. Tell us."

"Oh, it's such a long story." Evelyn said, trying to get out of it.

"We got time." Martha said with a grin.

"I saw it happen." Barbara said. "And I saw how Ava told his friend to literary get lost."

Everyone looked at Ava, who blushed at the attention she got for it. Evelyn couldn't help but laugh at her little sister, and made herself more comfortable.

"Well, it was about four weeks ago..."

* * *

 _Four weeks earlier_

Ava was working at one of the stations with Barbra and Martha. Ava was in a good mood, and when she was, she loved to make fun of Martha, who did not have a good day.

"Oh, come on, Martha. You get to physically stab someone in the butt. You should be thrilled!" Ava said as they prepared their station.

"Thrilled? Ava, we have to stare at pale, unattractive butts all day." Martha grumbled.

"Someone needs to get a piece." Barbara whispered to Ava, making her laugh.

"Oh, how I hate both of you." Martha said, throwing a towel after the two laughing girls.

"You do know that we have to work a double shift today, right?" Martha told us, and that shut them up.

Ava internally groaned, as she watched the soldiers stand together outside the doors, waiting for their checkups. Ava knew that it was make it or break it for these soldiers, but that didn't mean that she would go easy on them.

Evelyn popped her head from behind one of the curtains.

"Are you ready little sister?" Evelyn asked her.

"Are you kidding? I live and breathe for taking these pilots of their high horse, and give them something to cry about." Ava answered and showed her a syringe, making her sister smile. Evelyn knew that her sister was a sweetheart underneath her hard exterior. But if there's something Ava doesn't like about pilots? It's because they remind them of her father. And she took it extremely hard when he died. Being around pilots, only made it worse. But she had great respect for them, and loved them for devoting themselves for their country. Evelyn wished she could do more for her sister.

"Play nice, Ava." Evelyn warned with a smile.

"Always." Ava promised her older sister.

Ava, Barbra, and Martha worked together, giving the army men their shots, and Ava found it funny how much they hated it.

Martha called out for a man, a scrawny man with red hair. He looked as if he was going to pass out soon.

"What do you think is b-b-better? All in the one cheek, or spreading them out?" The scared man asked. Martha looked at him with narrow eyes, and that made him not question her again.

"OK, then."

"Fusco, Anthony." Barbara called out at the same time as Ava called out:

"Thomson, Billy!" The two scared men came forward, trying to not seem affected.

"Sweetie, do you really have to do this?" Anthony asked, making both Ava and Barbara roll their eyes.

"Yeah, I mean, we're not going to get yellow fever in my barracks." Billy added, reluctantly dropping his pants a little.

"No? If you rather, she can do it." Ava said, pointing at Martha, driving the needle into their friends behind a tad too hard.

Both men winched sharply before turning towards the nurses.

"Just give us a minute." Anthony stuttered.

"Honey, the government says stick'em," Barbara started to say.

"We stick'em." Both said at the same time, making them gasp in pain. Ava did feel bad for them though.

They watched them walking away limping, and the nurses couldn't help but giggle.

"Nurse Johnson." A sharp voice interrupted them.

"Yes, Dr. Hanson." Ava replied, trying to stop giggling.

"Your service at this station is not needed anymore. Go change with your sister at number 4." Dr. Hanson told her.

"Right away, Dr. Hanson." Ava said and gave Barbara and Martha a wave. Ava walked towards her sister with an annoyed look on her face. She huffed and sat down next to Evelyn.

"What happened to you?" Evelyn asked, raising her eyebrow.

"Well, I was having some fun with Barbara on the behalf of Martha and those poor men, but Dr. Snoozefest, came and ruined our fun." She grumbled.

"Let me guess, Dr. Hanson?" Evelyn said, trying to hide her laughter.

"How on earth did you know that?" Ava asked sarcastically.

"You know he's only giving you a hard time, because he fancies you, you do know that?" Evelyn said, knowing her sister would be aggravated.

"That will never happen. I've decided that I'm not going to fall in love... ever." Ava announced and Evelyn only shook her head. She knew that her sister would eventually fall in love, it was just a matter of time.

"Next!" Both women said at the same time. Continuing with their patients.

* * *

Somewhere else in the room, two men, wanting to be pilots, walked around nervously. They looked at all the men that wanted to be a pilot and saw a few dreams shattered as they passed examination.

"Eye exam number 4?" They heard a nurse say.

"I'm gonna fail." One of the men said, freaking out. "They're gonna take my wings away."

"No, they won't, just relax." The other one tried to calm his friend down.

"Read the bottom line please." The nurse told the guy in front of them without looking up.

"Just keep practicing the bottom line." The other one told him. "And don't worry. I'm right behind you."

The nervous man chanted the letters repeatedly.

"Next." The nurse said without looking up, reaching for his file.

"Ma'am." The man said, and she looked at his file. His name was Rafe McCawly. Nice, strong name, Evelyn thought to herself.

The young man hurried through the letters without stopping to breathe, and that was clearly rehearsed.

"Eyes like an eagle, ma'am."

"Slow down, fly boy." Evelyn said without looking at him. Instead of the bottom, read the very top, both eyes."

Both girls looked up when they heard him stutter and get several of the letters wrong.

"Read the bottom line again, please." Evelyn asked nicely. "But read it right to left and every other letter."

He tried so hard but couldn't read the letters at all. Ava looked at him and then at his friend that tried to help him by whispering the right letters to him. Ava narrowed his eyes at him, not knowing the reasons behind this.

"Ma'am. I know how this looks." Rafe said.

"I'm sorry, Lieutenant, I really am. But the army and the navy requires 20/20 vision." Evelyn told him.

"Oh, it's not a problem with my eyes. I mean, I can see. I mean, I can hit a running rabbit with a $3.00 pistol. I got a problem with letters, that's all." Rafe said, and for some reason, Ava believed him. She looked over at Evelyn, that looked back at her, trying to decide what to do.

"Maybe after some schooling. You could come back, and take the test again." Evelyn suggested.

"No, I had schooling. I mean, the teachers just never knew what to make of it. It's just letters. I mix them up sometimes, that's all." Rafe rambled on. "I just get them backwards sometimes."

Ava watched as Rafe tried to describe his schooling when she felt someone eyeing her. She looked up and found herself captured by dark brown eyes, staring directly into her intense blue and brown ones. Ava found herself forgetting the fact that she wasn't supposed to be looking at the soldiers like this, and broke eye contact quickly.

"Ma'am. I'm never going to be an English teacher. But I know why I'm here. To be a pilot. And you don't dogfight with manuals. You don't fly with gauges." Rafe told them. "It's all about the feeling and speed and letting that plane become like a part of your body. And that manual says that a guy who's a slow reader can't be a good pilot. That file says I'm the best pilot in this room."

Ava felt conflicted. She wanted to clear him. She understood the feeling of not being able to fly an airplane. She felt the same way, but he could actually be able to do it. Ava watched as Evelyn was bewitched by Rafe's presence and that it seemed as if they were to only people in the room.

"Ma'am. Please don't take my wings." Rafe pleaded.

 _Well, I felt so bad. I had no choice. I passed him._

* * *

A nurse came over to station Evelyn someplace else, leaving Ava alone with the young Lieutenant. He tried to impress her with his eyesight, but it didn't impress her much.

"Hello, darling." He tried to flirt. "I'm Danny Walker. Maybe I should take you up in my plane sometime."

Ava didn't look up, nor did she address him. She wasn't interested to get to know him.

"Just do the exam. And don't for a second think that I'll be charmed by you." Ava finally told him. Danny looked as if Ava had punched him in the face.

"I wasn't saying..." He started to say but Ava stopped him.

"You think you're this hotshot pilot, thinking that girls would just swoon at your very feet, just because you're able to fly a plane. Well, here's something for you. My father was the best pilot you could ever imagine, and I probably could fly a plane before you could even spell it. So don't come in here to try to use that as a bargaining tool for me to swoon at your feet." Ava told him off. "I'm not that kind of girl."

"Next!" She yelled without him getting the chance to answer her. Danny looked at the beautiful girl in front of him. He had somehow managed to insult her in some way, but that didn't mean that she was not a good person. He could see it in her eyes. She just seemed closed off and scared about something.

Barbara had heard some of the conversation and walked over to me.

"Was that really necessary? You scared him off." Barbara said to Ava.

"I'm sorry. I just tell them how it is." Ava answered, secretly feeling a little bad about what she did.

"Not every guy is going to leave you like your father did." Barbara reminded her. Ava felt bad and wanted to say that she was right, when they heard some commotion.

Both girls ran over to Evelyn's station, seeing Rafe lying on the ground clutching his nose.

"Oh! What'd you do to him?" Barbara asked in surprise.

* * *

 _Present time_

The girls laughed at the story Evelyn told them.

"Poor guy." Evelyn told them as she continued to tell the story of what happened after that. About how he waited for her outside, serving her champagne. How they kissed under the stars. Ava had to admit that she loved that story, and that she wanted to be as open minded as her sister.

"Wow. That's a wonderful love story." Betty exclaimed, before looking over at her best friend. "But why were you rude to that guy? He seemed like a terrific guy, and you probably scared him away."

"I know that." Ava said, burying her face in her hands. "But pilots are a sore subject for me, and I let it all out on an innocent guy."

Evelyn reached over to show her sister some comfort.

"I know that you find this difficult. But if he's there tonight, maybe you should tell him how sorry you are, and start all over again." Evelyn suggested. Ava smiled at her, and at times like these, Ava wanted to believe that Evelyn was just as she pictured their mother.

As the train stopped in New York, Evelyn was so happy, it made Ava happy. She loved seeing her sister like this. Betty held Ava back for a second to talk to her.

"Hey..." I know that it didn't work out the way you wanted it to, but please tell me you'll give the guy a break." Betty told her and Ava grabbed her hand.

"Thank you, Betty Boop." Ava said, hugging her best friend.

Ava watched as Evelyn launched herself into her boyfriend's arms, and it seemed as if it was taken out of "Gone With The Wind." And Ava was happy for her sister.

"Hello Lieutenant." Rafe said to Evelyn. "It's good to see you."

"You, too, Lieutenant." Evelyn said with an enchanted smile. Ava and Betty looked at the happy couple in glee.

"I hope I'll experience that someday." Ava whispered to Betty and it made the young girl look at her friend differently. Ava Marie Johnson wanted love, just like the rest of them.

"I'd like you to meet my friends. Rafe, this is Martha, Barbara, Sandra, Betty. And you know my sister, Ava." Evelyn said and they all waved, but Betty needed more.

"Hi, I'm Betty. Would you happen to have any friends?" Betty asked, making them all giggle. Rafe smiled and turned around to show them that he had a lot of friends that wanted their company.

"Take your pick." Rafe answered with a laugh.

The girls was about to go inside the club, when Rafe held Ava back.

"Hey. I know that you didn't hit it off with Danny, but he feels really bad about what he said. Maybe you should go easy on him?" Rafe asked her. Ava just smiled.

"I promise." Ava told him.

* * *

The music was loud inside the club, and everyone's dancing, having a good time. Ava was dancing around with Betty, laughing as she did. For the first time in a long while, Ava let herself go and just have fun.

"I'm just going to go and get myself something to drink!" Ava yelled to Betty over the loud music.

Ava walked over to the bar, waiting to be served, when Anthony walked up to her.

"If we ever get in this war, and something happens to me, I can't tell how good it makes me feel to know that someone as sweet as you will be there, nursing me back to health." Anthony told her, trying to reel her in.

Ava just stood there, looking at him, trying to understand what he just said. What Anthony didn't expect, was Ava's reaction. She was laughing.

"Are you seriously using that line? Do women actually fall for that?" Ava asked him, making him blush.

"I... No, no they don't." Anthony said in defeat.

"Well, sweetheart. You get points for trying. But I'm not your girl." Ava said, giving the man in front of her a kiss on the cheek.

Ava grabbed her drink and walked back towards Betty. She stopped when she saw her dancing with Red, laughing at something he said. They seemed to be a good fit. Perhaps Ava's best friend has found the love of her life?

The song died down, and the band started to play a slow song. Ava watched her sister walk towards the dance floor with Rafe. They looked so much in love, and Ava couldn't be happier about it.

"Hey..." Evelyn said as they moved towards Ava. "Now is your chance."

Ava knew what her sister was talking about, seeing that Danny was sitting alone in the booth.

Ava let out a sigh, and walked over to Danny.

"Hi." She said in a low voice.

"Hey." Danny said shortly, not knowing what to expect.

"I owe you an apology." Ava told him and that surprised him. "I shouldn't have given you such a hard time back at the exams. It wasn't fair to you."

"Hey, no worries, ma'am. We just got off on the wrong foot, that's all." Danny said with a polite smile.

"Well, if you don't mind, I would like to start over." Ava said, getting a little more comfortable.

"I'd like that too, ma'am." Danny said with that Tennessee dialect of his.

"Hi, I'm Ava Johnson." Ava said holding out her hand.

"Hello, Ava Johnson, I'm Danny Walker." Danny said grabbing her hand to shake.

"Nice to meet you, Danny. I think that we're going to be good friends." Ava said with that sweet smile of hers, making Danny blush. He still thought she was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen before."

"I think so too." Danny agreed and Ava did actually think that they would get along just fine.

* * *

Evelyn looked over at Danny and Ava, relieved that they were talking and that there was no weirdness between them.

"Danny seems kind of shy around the girls." Evelyn said, snuggling closer to Rafe.

"It's not that he's shy. He's just a little unsure of himself, that's all." Rafe told her, looking at the pair sitting there talking. "But the minute you give him a plane, he's sure of himself."

"Hmm... that sounds a lot like my sister. In a way." Evelyn said thinking about how much happier Ava was when she used to fly with their father. After he died, she stopped completely. She didn't see the meaning behind it anymore.

"Hey, do you want to leave?" I kind of want to spend some time alone with you." Evelyn admitted, wanted nothing more than to have some alone time with her boyfriend.

"Well then. How does New York Harbor by moonlight sound?" Rafe said huskily.

"Let me just tell Ava that we're leaving." Evelyn answered and walked over to her sister.

"Hey, Ava. Rafe and I are leaving now, do you want us to drop you off at the hotel?" Evelyn asked her. Ava thought about it for a second.

"No, I think I'll stay here." Ava answered with a smile.

"Yes, I'll make sure Miss. Ava gets back safely." Danny added.

"Okay. Stay safe." Evelyn said, picking up her purse.

"You too." Ava said, giving her sister a kiss on the cheek.

"Love you, little Aviator." Evelyn said before leaving. Ava sat there, having not heard that nickname for years.

* * *

At the end of the evening, Danny did as he promised, and followed Ava back to the hotel. They had done a lot of talking and they felt as if they could be friends.

"You seemed a little off after Evelyn left tonight. I hope I didn't bore you." Danny said as they stopped outside her hotel room.

"No, you didn't. I loved getting to know you." Ava said quickly. "It was just something Evelyn said before she left that threw me off guard. Something I haven't heard in years."

"Do you wish to tell me about it?" Danny asked her.

"Maybe some other time. It's not something I like to talk about it." Ava said with a sigh.

"All right, I didn't mean to pry. I just can't wait to get to know you better." Danny said, moving a little closer to her.

"I feel that way too." Ava agreed, fighting the shivering feeling she gained from Danny touching her cheek.

"Is it okay if I kiss you?" Danny asked, starring into her eyes.

"Yes," Ava whispered, wanting Danny to be her first kiss. He leaned down towards her. Ava closed her eyes, waiting for it to happen. She could feel his breath on her lips, as he moved closer. Their lips were about to touch when someone came barging through the door of the room down the hall.

Ava got spooked and jumped away from Danny, looking straight at Barbara.

"Hey! We're having the after party in here!" Barbara said with her arms wrapped around Billy. "Oh! Did we interrupt something?"

"No, no. Nothing at all." Ava said quickly. "I'll see you later, thank you for a nice evening. Good night."

Ava hastily kissing Danny's cheek, before letting herself into her room. Danny didn't even have the time to stop her.

"Good night, Ava." Danny said quietly, before returning to his own room.

Ava leaned against the door, breathing heavily. She had almost kissed Danny tonight, and then she spoiled it. She wanted to run after him, and give him the kiss he deserved, but she was afraid of feeling like this, but then again, she loved the butterflies in her stomach.

Ava changed into her nightgown and sat down at her table, combing through her long brown hair, dreaming away a little on how it will be when they finally arrive at Hawaii. It would be so much fun and educational.

Suddenly, the door busted open, making Ava jump, and dropping her comb. She turned around to see her sister standing there with tears in her eyes.

"Evelyn? Honey, what's wrong?" Ava asked, thinking someone hurt her.

"He's leaving for war." She choked out before breaking down into sobs.

Ava wrapped her arms around her broken sister as she told Ava about the fact that Rafe is going to England to fight in the war.

* * *

 **There it is. I hope you enjoyed it. I know that Danny and Ava doesn't hit it off right away, but their time will come. Everything can't be easy for them all the time.**

 **Until next time xD**

 ***cathrineoriginal***

* * *

 ***JellyfishnamedSquid: Thank you so much! It means a lot to me!**


	3. Arriving at the Pearl

**Next chapter awaits you!**

 ** _I do not own "Pearl Harbor" only my OC._**

 ***cathrineoriginal***

* * *

Ava sat with her sister all night. Comforting her as she cried, watched over her as she slept. Feeling so bad about her going through this. Ava looked at the clock and realized that Rafe would leave on the train soon, and she knew that Evelyn would regret it if she didn't see him off.

"Evelyn, get up!" Ava pushed her older sister roughly.

"Ava! What are you doing!?" Evelyn exclaimed, not ready to want to leave her bed.

"You need to get your butt out of bed and run down to the train station." Ava told her firmly.

"He didn't want me to, Ava." Evelyn said, throwing her duvet over her head. But Ava took it off her.

"Don't you get it? It was a test, Evelyn. He wants to know how you really feel about him." Ava argued.

"Do you love him?" Ava asked her.

"Of course, I do." Evelyn shot back.

"Then go! Run down to the train station and tell him that!" Ava nearly shouted. Evelyn suddenly jumped out of bed and started getting ready. Ava watched her sister fight for the love she wanted and needed in her life. It made Ava feel good inside.

* * *

Rafe and Danny was at the train station preparing to say goodbye. Rafe kept on looking back, as if he was looking for someone.

"I thought you said you told her not to come." Danny stated.

"Yeah, I did." Rafe answered.

"Why are you looking for her then?"

"It's my test. If I tell her not to come, and she comes anyway, then I know that she loves me." Rafe said, making Danny chuckle.

"All aboard! Track 57!" They heard someone call out.

"If anything happens to me, I want you to be the one to tell her. All right?" Rafe said, trying not to lose his cool.

"Just make sure and come back for the both of us, all right?" Danny told him.

"OK." Rafe promised and gave his friend a hug. "See you when I get back."

Rafe started to walk away.

"Oh, and Danny! Evelyn told me a great deal about her sister yesterday. I think that you may be the one to bring her out of her shell. Take care of her, okay?" Rafe told him.

"I promise, Rafe." Danny said, watching his friend walk away. "Good hunting, Rafe."

Ava followed after Evelyn through the train station. And she has never seen her older sister run like this before. Ava found out the hard way, that running in heels, is not for her.

Evelyn ran out on the platform, only to see the train leave the station. She stood there paralyzed, horrified that she never got the chance to see Rafe before he left for war.

"Evelyn, I'm so sorry." Ava said, trying to fight her own tears.

Evelyn didn't say anything, but turned around and wrapped her arms around her.

"I never got the chance to say that I love him too." Evelyn cried into Ava's shoulder. She didn't care that she cried in public, she didn't care that her makeup was running down her face.

"Let get you out of here." Ava whispered to her, and wrapped her arm around her grieving sister.

* * *

As the departure to Pearl Harbor approached, Ava watched the news more closely. She knew that somewhere along the line, the war would hit America. She wasn't stupid. Evelyn was a mess for a few weeks, and then she started to get letters from Rafe, and things was a little bit better for her.

When it came to Danny, Ava hadn't heard anything from him since that night in New York, the time when he almost kissed her, but then she freaked out, and left him standing in the hallway of the hotel.

Ava was jolted out of her thoughts, when the commercial plane hit the ground in Maui. From here, they would have to take the boat from Maui and into the bay of Pearl Harbor. Ava was actually looking forward to it. It would be an adventure, and maybe she could even fall in love, and forget all about Danny Walker.

"Are you excited?" Betty asked Ava, looping her arm with her own.

"Yes, I am. I can't wait to see the island, and meet all the cute boys." Ava answered, and the two of them, giggled like two teenage girls.

Ava looked over at Evelyn as the boat sailed through the water. For once, she was smiling, and enjoying herself.

"This is so exciting." Evelyn told them.

"You know there's about a hundred ships on Pearl?" Sandra asked her friends, and that amazed Ava.

"And how many sailors a ship?" Betty asked.

"It depends. More on a battleship than a sub. But say on average... 2,000?" Sandra answered, and Ava couldn't help but smile even wider.

"But then there's the flyers, the marines, base personnel." Barbara added.

"I'm still working on the sailors." Ava said honestly.

"Girls, I think the odds are in your favor." Evelyn told them.

"Yeah, like 4,000 to one." Martha added, excited.

"It's paradise." Betty said, as she started to wave at the sailors.

"See you on the beach, boys!" Barbara yelled to the whistling sailors. "We're in Hawaii!"

* * *

Ava and the girls got this beautiful house down by the water. It took Ava's breath away. How she wished that her father could've seen this.

"I miss him too, you know." Evelyn said, knowing that Ava was thinking about their father.

"I know. I just wished he could've seen this." Ava said, clutching his old dog tag from his time in the army, during World War One.

"Come on. We need to get to the hospital." Evelyn said, handing Ava her uniform.

The trip to the hospital didn't take very long. And it looked so clean and beautiful.

"Welcome ladies!" A fellow nurse said from the ER with hospital beds.

"Hi!" All of them said at the same time.

"I have to deal with toasty sunburned fanny... before I can show you around." The nurse told them, making them laugh.

Ava concluded that she was going to like it here.

The first few weeks, flew by. It was so much new for Ava to see, and she hasn't even thought about boys. She went hiking, stayed on the beach with the other girls, comforted Evelyn, when she missed Rafe too much.

* * *

Ava was walking around town, looking at the small booths there, where the locals made food and played music. Ava was too caught up in her environment, she didn't even see where she was going, and bumped into someone.

"Oh, I'm so sorry." Ava said quickly.

"No, ma'am, I'm sorry." A familiar voice said.

"Danny, hi." Ava said out of breath, looking straight into those perfect brown eyes.

"Ava." He said nervously. "How are you?"

"I'm good. I mean, I can't complain." Ava said with a little stutter. God, how foolish could you be. They just stood there looking at each other in an awkward silence.

"Well..." Ava said, breaking the silence first. "I'll be seeing ya."

Danny watched as Ava started to walk away.

"Damn it! Pull yourself together, Danny Walker!" Danny said under his breath.

"Hey, Ava!" Danny called after her, making her turn around quickly.

"Yes?"

"Would you like to grab a coffee with me?" Danny asked with that smile she knew she couldn't resist.

"Sure." Ava said, blushing like crazy as she walked back to him. Danny felt relieved and put his hand against her lower back, and she couldn't deny those feelings she felt when he did.

The two of them sat down at a small café on the outskirts of the town square, and for once, it felt natural again, and it didn't take long before they fell back into light talking.

"How long have you been here now?" Danny asked, looking at her intently.

"Well, I think it's about 4 weeks now, but it seems like a lifetime." Ava answered with a smile. "How about you?"

"Just about the same. But it's strange that I haven't seen you around before now." Danny said.

"I've been working at the hospital and I've been exploring the Island as much as possible." Ava told him, enjoying the warm breeze the blew in. Danny looked at how the wind blew through her hair, and how the sun was reflecting in her beautiful eyes. He was falling hard for a woman he didn't even know yet.

* * *

They kept on talking for hours, walking on the beach, getting to know each other as much as possible. They didn't even notice the sun starting to set in the distance. Not until a plane was heard over the sky, making Ava look up.

"I should return home." Ava said with a defeated sigh.

"Okay. Let me follow you home." Danny said and Ava didn't want to say no, she didn't want to say goodbye to him. Danny kept on talking about how it was to be a pilot, and how much he loved it. He looked just like her father did when he talked about planes.

"I miss it." Ava said, after taking a deep breath.

"What?" Danny asked, seeing that she was deep in thought.

"Flying with my dad. It was something I did with him. I haven't even been on a plane since he died." Ava told him. She didn't like to talk much about it. "Well, besides coming here, I guess."

"We would work for hours on the engine of the plane we had on the farm. My aunt could never understand it at all. Getting grease all over me, messing up my hair, instead of acting like the girl I am." Ava said, laughing a little at the memory.

Danny didn't know what to say to that, so he kept his mouth shut and started thinking. Without warning, Ava leaned her head on his shoulder as they walked back to the house she lived in. Danny froze at first, but he settled himself with his arm around her shoulder, bringing her closer to him.

They stopped outside the house, and they could hear Ava's friends laughing and talking rather loud.

"Thank you for today." Ava said, looking up at him. "I had a wonderful evening."

Ava stood up on her tiptoes, and kissed his cheek, lingered there for a moment. She wasn't ready to kiss him yet, and he knew it.

"It was my pleasure. I had a wonderful time with you." Danny said kissing her hand.

"See you later, flyboy." Ava said letting him go and walked up the stairs to the porch.

"Hey, Ava!" Danny called, making her turn around.

"Do you have any plans for tomorrow?" Danny asked her.

"No, I have the day off tomorrow. Why?" Ava answered him.

"Oh, it's nothing major, but be ready around noon, I want to take you somewhere." Danny said, without giving much away. Ava thought about it for a second, before breaking into a smile.

"Okay. It's a date." Ava said, before walking inside the house. Through the netting door, she watched as Danny broke into a smile before walking down the street, practically pumping his fist into the air. Ava couldn't help but giggle, and turned around feeling like a giddy teenager in love. She stopped when she saw her fellow nurses looked at her with a smug smile.

"What?" Ava said with a blush.

"Don't you dare give us that!" Betty exclaimed, narrowing her eyes at her best friend. "What's up with you and that cute pilot?"

"We just had coffee, that's all." Ava answered.

"Wow. That must have been a damn good coffee, leaving you all giddy like that." Barbara added, doing the finishing on her makeup. The other nurses were getting ready for a night on the town.

"Come on, tell us. Did you kiss him?" Betty pleaded and asked.

"A lady never kiss and tell. But no, I did not kiss him." Ava told them. "But he was so sweet and adorable."

Betty seemed as if she was about to faint. She had been seeing Red since that night in New York, and she knew what it was like to be falling for someone.

"It's so romantic!" Betty exclaimed and started to chatter with the other nurses. Ava looked up and saw Evelyn sitting on her bed with a pen and stationary in her hand.

"Are you going out with us?" Barbara asked Ava.

"No. I think I'll stay in tonight." Ava answered, wanting to talk to her sister alone.

"Okay. More boys for us." Martha said and the girls walked out the door, laughing, and talking about what the night would bring.

* * *

Ava walked over to Evelyn's bed and sat down next to her.

"So, you were with Danny tonight." Evelyn stated.

"Yes. We had coffee, walked on the beach, and he followed me home." Ava said, thinking about the evening she had. What she didn't know was that her sister watched her intently.

"Well, it sounds like you are developing a little crush on our dear pilot friend." Evelyn said, putting her letter away. Ava fell back on the bed, dragging Evelyn with her.

"I don't know what happened. He was so sweet, and kind. He's so handsome and... nice and..." Ava started to say but stopped.

"And I feel guilty for feeling this way, when I know that the one you love, is somewhere out there, fighting a war." Ava said, feeling tears gathering in her eyes.

Evelyn looked over at her sister, loving her even more for thinking of her.

"Ava Marie Johnson. You are a wonderful woman with a huge heart. You deserve happiness, and if Danny makes you happy, then don't let me stop you. Go, be in love, don't take anything for granted." Evelyn said, grabbing her hand, squeezing it.

"I don't want your life to be put on hold. You never know what's going to happen, I don't want you to look back on things, regretting for what you never did." Evelyn said.

"Thank you, Evelyn." Ava whispered.

"No problem, little Aviator." Evelyn said with a smile, and it made Ava happy.

"I like that you're calling me that. It's nice to hear it again. Makes me closer to dad somehow." Ava said.

"Not only dad." Evelyn said, taking out an old photograph. Evelyn gave it to Ava, letting her study it. It was a beautiful woman with a newborn baby in her arms.

"This woman looks a lot like me." Ava said in a whisper.

"That our mother, a few weeks after I was born." Evelyn told her. "You look so much like her, with the personality from our father. The best of both worlds. Don't be afraid to fall in love, Ava Marie."

Ava squeezed her hand back. Loving this moment with her sister.

"He is such a handsome man, and I think I'll fall head over heels for him in no time." Ava said laughing. Evelyn couldn't help but giggle.

One thing Ava knew, was that she was excited about going out with Danny tomorrow.

* * *

The next day, Ava woke up to the sun on her face. The butterflies came rushing back to her, and she started blushing. She looked around the room, seeing most of the nurses came back during the night, and they certainly had been intoxicated, bound to have a headache this morning.

Ava jumped out of bed silently, wrapping herself in her bathrobe, starting to make coffee and food for the hungover nurses and herself. Evelyn woke up just right after her, and helped her with breakfast.

"Are you excited about today?" Evelyn asked, stirring the batter for some pancakes.

"I'm more nervous. What if I've read all of this wrong? What if he doesn't like me like that?" Ava said a little scared and unsure of herself.

"I am sure he adores you. Don't you worry." Evelyn told her. Ava smiled at her sister and continued with breakfast.

"Good morning, sleepyheads!" Ava said, ripping the curtains apart, letting the sun hit the other girls in the face.

"Aaaaah! AVA!" Betty screamed, covering her eyes.

"Breakfast is ready." Ava said sweetly, smiling wicked as she did.

"Ow, my head hurts like someone has driven a tractor over it." Martha groaned under her duvet.

"Come on! You can't lay here all day. The sun is out and the day is going to be beautiful." Evelyn joined in on being chipper.

The other girls finally got up and they enjoyed a beautiful breakfast out on the terrace.

They sat there for a long time, when Evelyn finally looked at the clock.

"Oh, Ava! You need to get ready." Evelyn said, and that set off a chain reaction. All the girls stood up, dragging Ava back into the house, wanting to help her getting ready.

They didn't know where she was going, but they settled on a polka dot dress and used a matching red color on her lips. Ava's hair was curled to perfection.

"You look beautiful." Evelyn said, placing their mother's old hairpin into her hair to keep it away from her face.

"Thank you." Ava said, hugging her tightly.

"He's here!" Betty announced, and she was right. Danny stopped his car outside the house. A really nice car as well. A Mercury Convertible. Ava knew her machines.

Danny stepped out of the car, as Ava walked through the door. The other girls stood there, trying to capture everything.

Danny gasped when he finally saw her. She looked like a dream. She nervously walked towards him, trying to take in his handsome face.

"You look... Wow." Danny said, feeling like he could breathe for the first time.

"Thank you. You don't look so bad yourself." Ava said with a smile. Danny helped her into the car, before getting in himself.

* * *

"Where are, we going?" Ava asked when they finally drove down the road.

"It's a surprise, that I think you'll enjoy." Danny answered, grabbing her hand gently as they continued to drive.

They drove through town, and drove for about 20 minutes, and Ava couldn't help but admire the beauty of this Island. It didn't really matter where they were going, as long as they went together.

Danny took a left and drove into the base where the airplanes were. Ava's eyes went wide.

"This is where we're going today?" Ava asked him a little alarmed. Danny only chuckled as he parked the car.

"I thought about it would be fun for you to take a tour, seeing the planes." Danny told her and it was a good idea. But when Ava didn't say anything, his expression changed.

"Was this a bad idea? We can go someplace else." Danny told her quickly but Ava stopped him.

"No. I think it's a wonderful idea." Ava said honestly and it made Danny calm down a little. He jumped out of the car and walked over to her side to help her out. The airstrip buzzed with life and with men. They were working on the planes, laughing, talking. Until they saw Danny with a beautiful girl.

"Hey, Walker! What are you bringing?" A man yelled at them. Danny looked down at Ava.

"Do you want to meet them?" He asked.

"Yes, please." Ava said.

The man that seemed like the boss of the place, barked orders, and telling the boys to clean themselves up.

"Ava, this is Earl. He's the man to go to around here." Danny said.

"You got that right. Pleasure to meet you ma'am." Earl said tipping his hat.

"Please, call me Ava." She said sweetly.

"This is Gooz, Joe and of course, you know Billy." Danny continued.

"Sure. Nice to see you again, Billy. And nice to meet you too as well." Ava said politely.

"Are you here to see how the planes work?" Gooz asked with his redneck slang.

"Yes, Danny took me here so I could see the planes." Ava said, trying to figure out where he was going with this.

"Well, then. Let's show this pretty lady around." Gooz said and motioned for them to follow him.

"Do you want to show her, Danny?" Gooz asked, but Danny just shook his head.

"No, you go ahead." Danny answered, knowing how much Ava actually knew.

"Well, pretty lady." Gooz started to say, ushering her over to the nearest plane.

"This is it. Our finest plane." Gooz told her. And this, is the propeller. It moves around as the plane is turned on and in the air."

Ava fought the urge to roll her eyes, as he continued to dumb it down for her.

"What a fine description, Mr. Gooz. But... I've always thought that the Curtiss P-40 Warhawk that you have over there, is a better version of this Curtiss P-36. But it's inferior to the series that Luftwaffe is using, which is the Messerschmitt Bf 109 or the Focke-Wulf Fw 190 which comes in handy in high altitude combat." Ava told him and everyone grew silent.

You could've dropped a needle and heard it fall.

"Yeah... Ava's father was a pilot." Danny butted in, making Earl start laughing and Gooz stood there, feeling stupid.

"Who's your father, kiddo?" Earl asked.

"His name was Ray Johnson." Ava said, trying to hold her laughter back.

"And a fine he must have been." Earl said.

"He really was." Ava said with a shrug.

The men were impressed by her knowledge, and looked at her in amazement as Danny grabbed her hand, and walked away from them.

Danny and Ava walked over to the hangar furthest away from the others.

"Where are, we going?" Ava asked, looking to see if anyone was following them.

"I wanted to show you this." Danny said and pushed the hangar open. Inside, stood a broken-down plane, of the type P-40.

"Why are you showing me this?" Ava asked not understanding anything.

"When you told me that you and your father had this thing where you would take apart the engine and put it back together, making it work again. I can tell that when your father died, you lost a part of yourself, and it broke your heart, even though you don't show it. I was thinking that by taking apart this engine and putting it back together, piece by piece. Maybe your heart can be put back together." Danny said wiping away a tear Ava didn't even know that she had shed. "Would you let me do that?"

Ava looked at the broken-down plane standing in there in the dark. She never thought in a million years, that she would ever want to do this ever again. Get her hands dirty, doing something she loved to do with her father. Something inside her, screamed at her, telling her to do it.

Ava stared into Danny's eyes for a few seconds, trying to figure him out. Without warning, she grabbed the back of his neck and finally let her lips meet his. She saw fireworks and felt something ignite in her. Danny responded immediately, wrapping his arms around her petit form, loving the feeling of her lips against his.

They slowly broke apart, resting their foreheads together.

"Is that a yes?" Danny asked with roughness in his voice. All Ava could do, was nod her head.

"Just promise me something..." Ava pleaded.

"Anything..."

"Don't ever break my heart..." Ava breathed out, before Danny connected their lips again.

He wouldn't dream of it.

* * *

 **I hope you liked this chapter. Let me know :)**

 **Until next time xD**

 ***cathrineoriginal***

* * *

 ***JellyfishnamedSquid: I try my best!**


	4. Loss of a Loved One

**Here is the next chapter for you!**

 **Let me know what you think!**

 _ **I do not own "Pearl Harbor" only my oc.**_

 ***cathrineoriginal***

* * *

Time seemed to fly after that. Every waking hour, Ava wasn't at work, she spent with Danny and in that hangar. The guys, soon were used to Ava walking around the base in her overalls, and grease stains. But they always remembered that she was a lady. And that she's Danny's girl.

One morning in the end of August, she walked towards the docs to help some of the sailors, she felt someone wrap their arms around her waist. She yelped and turned around quickly, only to find Danny standing there, smiling at her.

"What are you doing?" Ava said, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"Kissing my girl." Danny answered and sealed his lips with hers.

"As much as I love this, and as much I want for you to keep going, I have some place I've got to be." Ava tried to say, but Danny kept on kissing her.

"Where are you going?" Danny asked her.

"I'm going to the marina. The SS Arizona needs me to give some shots and things." Ava answered, as they walked together towards the shore. Danny took her bag from her and grabbed her hand. He was such a gentleman.

"What a coincidence. I am meeting someone there as well." Danny said, and Ava didn't quite believe him. "Gooz and Billy is taking me to see a boxing match."

"A boxing match? Why would anyone want to see that?" Ava asked, not liking this at all.

"It's only for fun, okay." Danny said, kissing her knuckles. Ava shook her head but loved the idea of him joining her.

"How is your sister?" Danny asked, knowing that he missed Rafe almost as much as she does.

"It goes up and down. I hear her crying sometimes, at night. I want to make it better, but it's difficult. But the letters help." Ava said with a shrug. "Maybe you should talk to her. It will be good for her to talk with someone who knows him, who understand how it is to miss him."

Danny looked at the girl in front of him. He hadn't want to admit to himself that he had fallen in love with her. He thinks he fell in love from the first moment he laid eyes on those beautiful blue/brown eyes.

"Hey, Walker!" Gooz yelled from the pier where SS Arizona docked. We got to go now, if we want to place our bets.

"Go... Use your money, and win some. Go with your guts. I have a few sailors to attend to." Ava said, giving him a kiss.

"Hey, Gooz, Billy." Ava said as she walked past him.

"Miss. Ava." Gooz replied and tipped his hat.

Gooz, Billy and Danny ran up on deck, where the fight had already started. They watched as a small African-American man fought a much bigger man, but Danny saw something in him.

"All right, Walker, who you got? The fight is almost over." Gooz told him.

"I'll take the cook." Danny said firmly.

"Why? You don't like money?" Gooz asked in wonder.

"I'll put 5 on it." Danny still held firm.

"Done." Gooz agreed. "Against a mechanic? That guy crap rivets."

Earlier, Ava had told him to go with his gut, and something told him to trust it this time. They watched as the cooks gave their fighter a pep talk, and Danny admire their spirit.

It paid off and the cook got some good hits.

"Look at this!" Danny shouted as the cook knocked him out. "Where's my money?"

* * *

Inside the boat, Ava was tending to her last solider of the day. He was a young man, no older than 18. Maybe even younger.

"So... How long have you been here, Officer Grant?" Ava asked him.

"About 5 months, ma'am." Grant answered truthfully.

"And what about your family, what did they say when you decided to lie about your age and join the army?" Ava asked, taking a chance.

"Oh, you know. They're not happy about it." Grant said without thinking. "Oh! Ma'am. Please don't tell anyone."

Ava raised her eyebrows at his comment.

"How old are you really, Grant?" Ava asked with a low voice.

"16, ma'am. I lied on my age because it was the only way it would work." Grant said. Ava looked at him with compassion.

"Grant. You're only 16 years old... you're a child with a lot going for you. Why risk it for this?" Ava asked, feeling for the young boy.

"Because I wanted to matter. And I did it to help my family. This way, I can send them money." Grant told her, and she felt for the kid. "Please don't report me. I need this. My family need this."

Ava sighed, and understood his point of view.

"Report what, Officer Grant?" Ava asked with a smile and packed her things.

Officer Grant was a sweet boy, he deserved a chance. She just wished that he wouldn't experience combat at first hand.

Ava walked up on deck, seeing that the match was already finished. Danny looked satisfied, and she knew that he won. He ran over to her and spun her around in his arms, making Ava squeal.

"I did it!" Danny yelled, and Ava couldn't help but laugh.

"I guess you did." Ava said, finally hitting the ground again. Danny kissed her firmly, making her toes curl.

"Uh... excuse me, miss?" A voice behind them said. Ava broke contact with her man and looked directly at a man with cuts on his face.

"Yes?" Ava answered.

"Sorry, Petty Officer Miller, ma'am. I wonder if you could help me stitching my face up." Officer Miller asked her.

"Of course, I can. But I need you to come with me. I don't have the necessary equipment with me. But my sister is at the Dispensary, she could help you." Ava told him.

"I'll see you later, flyboy." Ava said, kissing her man.

* * *

Officer Miller and Ava walked together back to the Dispensary to get his cut checked out. Ava was busy with cleaning her equipment, as Evelyn stitched him up.

"How'd you get this?" Evelyn asked him.

"Boxing." Officer Miller answered.

"Did you win?"

"Yes ma'am." Miller said and he was proud of it.

"What do you get for winning?" Ava asked curiously.

"Respect." He answered and Ava could understand why he would need that.

"So why do you have to fight with your fists to get respect?" Evelyn asked as we walked outside.

"I left my momma in Texas. Joined the navy to see the world, become a man. They made me a cook. Not even that. I clean up after other sailors eat." Officer Miller told them. "2 years, they never let me fire a weapon."

Ava understood why he felt that way. He wanted to fight for their country, but the navy wouldn't let him. She reached out and touched his shoulder.

"Well, let's hope you never have to." Ava said calmly, noticing a car stopping not far from them.

"Yes, Ma'am." Miller promised.

"You take care, Petty Officer Miller." Evelyn greeted.

"You, too, ma'am. Ma'am." Miller acknowledged them both before leaving. That's when Evelyn also noticed the car.

"Ava. That's Danny." Evelyn said under her breath, making Ava more alert. She quickly walked down the steps, not reaching him fast enough. When he looked up at her, she understood that something was wrong.

"Sweetheart? What's the matter?" Ava asked carefully. Danny met her eyes, tears starting to show.

"I need to talk to Evelyn." He said, trying not to show emotion. Ava looked back at her sister, knowing that she would understand quickly.

Evelyn walked over to them, and she got the news no one should ever receive.

Rafe MacCawley was shot down at sea. Rafe was gone.

Evelyn collapsed in Ava's arms, crying her eyes out. Ava didn't know what to do. Here, her sister had just lost her boyfriend, and then there was Danny. He had just lost his best friend, his brother.

Ava held out a hand for Danny to take, to let him know that she was there for him.

"Let's get her home." Ava said softly, and Danny helped her.

When they reached the house, all their friends were there. They understood that something was wrong, but knew better than to interfere. Evelyn laid on her bed, crying, not being able to say or do anything else. Their fellow nurses, felt for her, and tried their best to comfort her. Ava was too occupied to see Danny leave.

Ava sat with her sister for a long time, soothing her back, until she finally fell asleep. She was exhausted. Ava finally looked around and noticed that Danny was gone, and she wanted to go find him. Sandra, Martha, and Betty saw her turmoil, and wanted to help.

"Hey. Why don't you go find Danny, and we'll take care of Evelyn?" Betty suggested, knowing what her best friend needed.

Ava looked back at her fragile sister, knowing that this wouldn't be easy on either of them.

"Yeah, Evelyn would understand." Martha added. Ava smiled at her friends before taking off her father's dog tag, placing it beside Evelyn.

"I love you, big sister." She whispered, before going outside in a rather cloudy Hawaiian surrounding. This was the first time in almost eight months, it had started to rain. It was as if the sky was sad that we lost someone dear to them.

* * *

Ava drove all the way out to Danny's base, to see if he was there. She was met with Gooz and Earl.

"Hey. Have you seen, Danny?" Ava asked them.

"He came back here a while ago. I think he's in his barracks, and Billy isn't there, so he's alone." Earl said. "And if you happen to stay all night, I won't know anything about it."

"Thank you, Earl." Ava said, knowing that it wasn't allowed for the pilots to have company in the barracks during the night.

Ava walked over to his barracks, slowly opening the door. It was dark, and Ava suddenly had the feeling that he wasn't there at all.

"I told you, I wanted to be alone." She heard a voice said, and she knew that voice.

"Danny?" Ava said in a soft voice, finally seeing him on his cot in the back corner of the room.

"Ava? What are you doing here?" Danny asked, still not moving from his cot.

"I wanted to see how you're doing." Ava said, looking down at her feet. When Danny didn't say anything, she walked over to him, and sat down next to him. Danny looked even worse than Evelyn.

"I'm here for you." Ava whispered. Danny looked up at her, glad that she was here with him, and dropped his head onto her neck, seeking comfort.

Ava wrapped her arms around him, as the thunder roared outside. His weight was much heavier than she thought, so she found it easier to lie down on the cot, with Danny wrapped around her like a cocoon.

For a long time, she just held him closely, stroking his hair, and arms, comforting him as much as possible.

"You know, Rafe taught me how to fly." Danny said, after a long time of silence. "I always knew that no matter what trouble I got into, I'd never be in it alone. He'd be there with me."

"Up there, he was always pushing me to be better and faster."

"He actually told my sister that you were a great flyer, and I believe that. Evelyn told me about that the night Rafe told her he'd volunteered to go to England." Ava whispered into his hair, and Danny froze.

"Volunteered? He... he told me he had been assigned." Danny said, and Ava could feel the tears leaking onto her neck. "He was always trying to protect me. But you know what? When I look at myself in the mirror in my uniform, and I still don't know who I am. I look like a hero... but I don't feel like it."

Ava moved a little so that she was facing Danny, nose to nose.

"Hey. No matter what you think, if you don't know who you are. I do." Ava told him, not leaving his eyes.

"You became my hero, from the day you started to crack my walls, and rebuild that broken heart of mine, piece by piece. And to me, you'll always be my hero. And I love you for that." Ava said, meaning every word.

Danny lost himself in those eyes he knew and loved, knowing the truth behind her words.

"That's the first time you've ever said that you love me." Danny whispered through the darkness, with the flashing of lightening, lighting up the room. Ava couldn't help but blush about it.

"I love you too, Ava." Danny whispered, and she couldn't do anything but kiss him. Danny responded, and it made him forget the pain he was feeling in his heart, and he loved her... God, he loved her. Ava pulled him closer to her, wanting to feel all of him.

Danny rolled over, wanting to see Ava's face clearly. The new tension between them was new and exciting. They hadn't experienced anything like this before. Ava was shaking, nervous for what may come next. But only by gazing into Danny's eyes, she calmed down. She knew that this was home, a man that would never hurt her, the man she would spend the rest of her life with. She could easily see his future in his eyes.

"My heart is pounding." Danny said out of breath, not knowing what else to say. Ava couldn't help but smile and slowly caressed his face. She moved her hand behind his neck and brought his lips down to hers.

In an awkward, yet passionate and loving manor, the young couple gave themselves to each other in need. Exploring a new adventure, prepared to embrace it all together.

* * *

The rain still poured down the next morning. It was as if the skies were mourning the loss of their friend. Ava slowly started to stir, feeling rather hot under the weight she was feeling. Ava slowly opened her eyes, not knowing where she was at first and turned her head slowly. She looked right at a sleeping Danny, still wrapped around her like a cocoon. She started to remember what happened between them the night before. Ava knew that she came here to support her Danny, because he was hurting from the loss he experienced. But Ava did not regret her having intercourse with him. It was beautiful, and she was glad he was the one she was with for the first time.

Ava caressed his cheek lovingly, kissing his forehead. Danny started to stir, looking directly into Ava's eyes.

"Good morning." Danny said, his voice still coated with sleep.

"Good morning, my love." Ava replied. At first, Danny couldn't remember what was happening, but then he remembered and he got tears in his eyes.

"We're, uh... we're having a ceremony for Rafe today at the local pub. It's something we do when we lose someone." Danny told her. "Do you think you can come with me?"

"Of course, sweetheart." Ava said, giving Danny a sweet kiss. "I just need to go back home, and see my sister. She's going to wake up without me, and I can't stand her being sad. No more than I can't stand seeing you sad and broken."

Danny understood, and said that he would join her back to her house before they went to the pub to give Rafe a proper goodbye.

When Ava drove back with Danny, she let him have the wheel and she never let go of his hand. Ava didn't say anything, but she was nervous to see her sister again, but she wanted to be the rock her sister and boyfriend needed her to be. There was no way around it.

As the car stopped outside Ava's house, she let out a deep breath. This day would not be easy.

Danny left to make things ready at the pub as Ava walked inside the house. She knew that everyone would be there, waiting for her.

"Ava." Evelyn breathed out, walking towards her sister, throwing her arms around her.

"Hi, Evelyn." Ava said, returning the gesture. Evelyn couldn't say anything else and just cried her tears out. Ava tried her best to be there for her. She helped her getting ready for the memorial, even though it wasn't easy.

* * *

As they arrived at the bar, the rain was pouring down worse than before. The all received a shot of bourbon. It was a ritual when someone died that they would honor him with a shot.

Ava wanted to walk over to Danny and Evelyn encouraged her to do so. Danny instantly wrapped his arm around her waist, wanting to feel her near him.

Danny took a deep breath, before starting to speak.

"To Rafe McCawley. The best pilot... and the best friend I ever knew. Or ever will know. To Rafe." Danny said, raising his glass.

Ava tried her best to contain her tears, and wrapped her arms around Danny's neck, letting him burry his head against her neck.

Ava knew she had to be there for both Evelyn and Danny, even though it would be difficult.

After the ceremony, Ava sent Danny back to his base, wanting to spend the day with Evelyn. Red, Billy and Earl, promised to take good care of her man, and Danny was glad that Ava would take care of her sister as well as him. Danny gave her a long kiss goodbye, before leaving with the boys.

Evelyn was sitting on the porch, looking at the couple saying goodbye. She didn't envy her sister at all. She was glad that she had someone in her life. Evelyn dabbed herself under the eyes to prevent tears from staining her cheeks.

Ava sat down next to her, wrapping her arm around her older sister.

"I'm so sorry you're going through this, Evelyn. I don't wish this on anyone." Ava said, letting her sister cry on her shoulder.

"I know, Ava. It's just a shock, that's all." Evelyn said. "But how are you doing in all of this? How's Danny?"

"Danny is... not so good, but I want to be there for him, as I want to be there for you." Ava answered honestly.

"You're a good person, sis... And you really love him, don't you?" Evelyn stated more than asked.

"Yes, I really do. It feels as if he's a part of me, as if he's literary a part of me." Ava said, thinking back on what they shared the night before.

"Ava. Did you and Danny... You know." Evelyn hinted to her, and Ava started blushing.

"Yes, and it was wonderful." Ava said, looking out on the rain.

"Why does it feels like there's a but in there somewhere?" Evelyn said, sitting up to look at her younger sister.

"Because it will all be worse if he ever breaks my heart." Ava said honestly. That was her biggest fear. That Danny would do something to break her heart.

"Ava Marie Johnson. That boy loves you to the moon and back. He would never in a million years, break your heart." Evelyn told her.

Ava just hoped that Evelyn was right. That Danny Walker would never break her heart and soul.

* * *

 **So, there it is. I think it's so sad, when Rafe is presumed dead. It's not easy, losing someone you love.**

 **Please let me know what you thought of this chapter!**

 **Until next time xD**

 ***cathrineoriginal***

* * *

 ***guest 1: thank you son much! It means a lot!**

 ***guest 2: thank you so much! Hope you liked this update as well.**


	5. You Always Hurt the One You Love

**I'm back with more. And I'm so glad that you still like this story this much. On that note, I'm sorry for what's about to happen in this chapter. Please let me know what you think.**

 ** _I do not own "Pearl Harbor" only my Oc._**

 ***cathrineoriginal***

* * *

The next few months was though on everyone. Especially Ava. She tried to console Evelyn, as much as she consoled Danny. She spent her days with her sister, and her nights with Danny. He told her how much he loved her, and how much he appreciated her being there for him. Ava did what she could to make sure that they would be okay, but it wasn't easy. Ava had to listen to her sister cry all the time, and she watched how she lost her will to live, as if she didn't have anything to live for anymore. How Ava wasn't enough to mend Evelyn's broken heart.

Ava tried her best to help everyone, but it wasn't easy at all. It was making her sick, but she didn't want to bother the ones grieving. The only thing keeping her going, was the plane that she got to fix up. Danny did it with her, but he was never there mentally. It felt more like a burden than something he wanted to do.

Earl watched as Ava did her best and it hurt him to see the girl he loved and cared for in pain, and his own pilot, did not see that his girl was having a hard time.

As Ava walked into the hangar that resides at the outskirts of the base with Joe, Earl turned to Danny, who was loading up the supplies to bring with him to the hangar.

"Yo, Walker. I need to talk to you." Earl told him but before Danny had the chance to answer, Earl brought his fist to connect with his face.

"Jesus Christ, Earl! What the hell is wrong with you?" Danny exclaimed mostly in shock.

"With me? What's wrong with you?" Earl shot back. "You are so caught up in your own sorry ass, you don't even see the girl in front of you barely hanging on. She's hurting, and she's getting sick because she worries too god damn much about you and her own sister, she's barely holding it together, but you only see yourself, and if you don't start treating her right, you don't need the god damn war to be afraid of. I'll be more than enough for your sorry ass." Earl told him harshly, and it seemed to open Danny's eyes a little more than before. He had been blinded by his own grief, and he only needed Ava when he saw fit. He never thought about the fact that Ava needed him as well.

* * *

Ava sighed as she opened the hangar door. She felt a little weak from the lack of sleep and the running around in this heat. It was hard for her to open the door. She hated feeling like this. She had tried to do her best for Danny and Evelyn, but it was hard, she never allowed herself to take a breather, to take some time to herself. A muscular arm helped her shove the hanger door open, and she secretly hoped that it was Danny, when she turned and saw Joe, she let out a disappointing breath.

"Thank you, Joe." Ava said with a smile.

"All for you, Miss Ava." Joe said with that crooked smile of his. Joe followed her inside the hangar, looking at the plane and how it was coming along.

"You've done a great job with this, Ava." Joe told her, tapping on the side of her plane.

"Thank you, Joe. But I haven't done it all by myself. Danny takes the credit for that." Ava said with a blush.

"Nah... Give yourself the credit you deserve." Joe said, and Ava felt as if he was flirting with her, and Ava didn't know how to respond to that.

"Lieutenant..." they heard from the door, making both Ava and Joe to turn around. Danny was standing there, looking at the two intently.

"May I have a word with my girl?" Danny asked, crossing his arms over his muscular chest. Joe didn't dare say anything towards him, and left the hangar in a hurry. Ava looked at Danny, not knowing what to say. She thought the only thing he needed right now, was her, or her body, and she wasn't up for it.

"Hey." Ava said, taking her eyes off her boyfriend. For the first time in months Danny actually saw Ava. She looked skinnier, almost sick. The shine in her eyes were gone, and it made Danny hate himself even more. How could he have not seen this earlier? That the love of his life, was suffering like this.

"What?" Ava asked, when she didn't get a response from him. Danny walked towards her, slowly, studying every inch of her. It hurt him even more to see his precious girl suffering like this. Danny reached out for her, touching her face. For Ava, this felt different. This wasn't the same like before. This was another side of Danny, and she had missed it. Ava leaned into his palm, and it felt so good.

"I am so sorry, Ava. I never meant for this to happen. I am so sorry for treating you like crap." Danny said, with tears in his eyes. "You haven't done anything to deserve this. You have been nothing but supportive, and I've taken you for granted. I am so sorry for that."

The wall Ava had put up in the last weeks, finally broke, and she was full on sobbing. She wrapped her arms around Danny's torso, and cried into his chest, because she couldn't think of anything else to do. Danny kept one arm around her waist, and use his other hand to cup the back of her head, bringing her head in for a kiss.

"I never had the right to treat you like this. You don't deserve it." Danny whispered against her forehead. Ava stood there in his arms, getting that cry she so desperately needed, and it felt good to finally get it out.

The young couple stood like this for a long time, unaware of the older man standing there at the door, watching them, with a relief on his face. He knew he had done the right thing, pushing them together. They needed each other to get through the difficult time coming their way.

Ava snuggled as close to Danny as she could get, feeling his heartbeat through his Hawaiian shirt, and Danny felt better, glad that Earl knocked some sense into his head.

"Take me away from all of this, Danny." Ava pleaded with a whisper, taking a step back to look into those beautiful eyes of his.

"I wish that I could, but I need to work here, either with you or the other planes." Danny answered, removing a curl away from her face. Ava understood, and it was just wishful thinking.

"I understand." Ava said, exhaling deeply.

"You know, I thought I told you to take the day off, Lieutenant." Earl's voice boomed through the hangar, making the young couple jump apart, staring at the man in front of them.

"Uh, you never told me that, sir." Danny stated with a puzzled look on his face. Earl looked at him with a smirk on his face.

"No? huh, I swore I did." Earl said, trying to sound thoughtful. "Well, I don't need you today, but in ten seconds, I might, so get going before I change my mind."

Danny couldn't help but smile, before grabbing Ava's hand and walking out of the hangar.

Earl watched them as they got into the car, wanting what was best for Ava. He actually needed Danny today, but he would gladly work extra, if that meant that Ava would be happy. That's all that matters to him.

* * *

Ava and Danny drove through town in silence, not that it mattered to Ava. She loved the fact that it was only her and Danny, instead of her and grieving Danny. But she was curious to where he was taking her.

"Where are we going?" Ava asked, breaking the silence between them.

"I am taking you to the beach." Danny answered, and Ava tried to hide the fact that she was disappointed. Everyone went to the beach on their day off. It wasn't something special for them to do. Ava couldn't help but think that Danny didn't want to spend time with her alone, and it made her a little sad.

When they got to the beach, Danny to a right, instead of a left towards the mountains.

"I thought we were going to the beach?" Ava stated more than asked.

"We are." Danny said with that handsome smile of his. Ava looked at him with a questionable look, but gave him the benefit of doubt. Danny could sense her inner turmoil, and grabbed her hand, bringing it up to his mouth to give it a loving kiss, and it sent shivers down Ava's spine.

The drive up in the mountains, didn't take long, and when they came into the clearing, Ava laid eyes on a remote beach, it seemed untouched by man.

"Oh my god. Danny! It's so beautiful up here." Ava exclaimed, tightening the hold on his hand, and Danny knew that he had taken her to the right place. He drove the car into the sand, getting as close as he could to the water.

"I know we haven't any swimwear, but I thought this would be nice to stay here." Danny told her, and Ava couldn't help but grin, and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"Why not be a little adventurous..." She said with a sparkle in her eyes, she haven't had that in weeks. She opened the door quickly and jumped out of the car, unbuttoning her dress as she went. Danny felt dazed and confused as he watched his girlfriend strip her clothes away, leaving her in her undergarments.

"Are going to sit there, or are you joining me?" Ava asked with a wink. Danny didn't have to think twice about it, and jumped out of the car, running after her. He was fumbling with his pants, and fell into the sand. Ava couldn't help but laugh at him for being so clumsy. Danny got up as quickly as he could, and finally got his pants off, and removing his shirt.

"Are you making fun of me, Missy?" Danny asked, and Ava didn't like the look on his face.

"Danny, don't you dare!" Ava screamed, but Danny grabbed her by the waist, hoisting her over her shoulder. Ava screamed with laughter as they hit the warm water, and they both went under. Danny never let her go, and helped her to the surface. She couldn't stop laughing as she held onto her man, wrapping her arms around his neck, and Danny couldn't help but laugh with her. He removed some of the wet hair from her face, her nose touching his.

"I'm sorry for not seeing you." Danny said in a whisper. "You mean the world to me, and I want you to know that. I never meant to take you for granted. You've been the biggest support your sister and I could ever dream of."

"I never want to lose you. Do you think you could ever forgive me?" Danny pleaded and Ava looked at him with those beautiful eyes of hers. Ava knew that he was sorry and she wanted to forgive him. So, she kissed him as passionately as she could, to let him know how she felt. This was all she ever needed from him, without being selfish. Danny kissed her back, letting her know that she was the only one he would ever want.

* * *

Earlier in the day, Evelyn had watched as her sister left to be with Danny. After a few months of grief, she still relied on her sister to be her rock. She knew she was selfish, but she didn't know what else to do. She lost the love of her life, and her sister got to keep hers. But Evelyn loved her sister, and wanted her to be happy. If there was someone that deserved to finally be happy, it was Ava Marie Johnson. And she couldn't have been prouder of her.

Evelyn had just gotten out from the bathroom, finally feeling a little better, not missing Rafe too much, not like she used to. She still mourned him, but she had decided that today would be different. Just then, Betty and Sandra came through the door.

"Evelyn, I signed for these letters for you today, because your sister had the day off. They're from England." Sandra said, handing her a bunch of letters, and Evelyn's heart broke all over again.

"They're from Rafe." Evelyn said, trying not to let her tears flow.

"I'm sorry, Ev. You know how long it takes mail to get here." Sandra started to say, but Evelyn just turned around and locked herself in the bathroom again. Her heart, once again, shattered into a million pieces, and she wanted it all just to end. She didn't see any way out of this.

* * *

Ava felt as if she was flying. She felt so content and happy, knowing that Danny was with her, and not with her because he needed something. After their swim, they sat on the beach, Ava straddling Danny's lap, kissing and caressing each other, feeling like the only two people alive in the world.

"I love you, Ava." Danny whispered, gazing into her eyes.

"I love you too, Danny. And I'm glad that you're here with me." Ava responded.

The lovebirds couldn't get enough of each other, and used this time together and the fact that they were completely alone, they ended up back in the car, being intimate for the first time in what felt like forever. The other times didn't count.

Afterwards they laid tangled up together, looking up at the blue sky, talking and laughing, feeling like a normal couple for a change.

Ava loved the feeling of having Danny wrapped around her.

"Do you ever think if this war is going to catch up with us?" Ava asked suddenly, snuggling closer to him.

"Not a whole lot."

"Every moment we're not together, you're up there, training for it." Ava argued softly.

"Yeah, well, I'm training for moments like these... cause I have no idea how I'm gonna get this car out of the sand." Danny answered, making Ava laugh. It was so hilarious, because they were wedged in. There's no way that they would be able to get out of this sand easily.

Ava turned towards Danny, to look at him.

"I never want this feeling to go away. The things I feel for you right now, I never want to be without." Ava said, and Danny fell even harder for her in this very moment.

He kissed her as the sun started to set, and he knew that he would spend the rest of his life with her.

* * *

The days and weeks went by slowly, but after that day on the beach, things seemed to be better between the two of them, but Ava still had that awful feeling about her sister. So, Ava had decided that she would spend that afternoon with Evelyn.

They walked together towards the movie theater, to watch the news of the world.

"So, no Danny today?" Evelyn asked her, looping her arm with hers.

"No. I'm yours for the time being. I am meeting Betty and Barbara afterwards, you're more than welcome to join us." Ava said in hope that her sister would do something else besides moping in her room.

"No, I don't think so. I want to write a letter to Aunt Anna." Evelyn told her, but Ava wasn't sure if that's the truth. She needed to come up with something and it had to happen fast.

The girls settled down in the movie theater, waiting for the news to start, and Ava could tell that Evelyn was nervous.

 _Movietone News_

 _"America still awaits Japan's response to peace proposals. Ambassador Nomura arrives in Washington in what could hopefully guarantee continued peace in the Pacific. On the British front, Churchill declares, 'give us the tools, and we will finish the job.'"_

Ava could feel the change in Evelyn, when they saw the crashing planes on the screen. She looked around to see if there was a way out, and suddenly, she saw Danny sitting a few rows down from them.

If there was someone Evelyn could talk with about Rafe, if was Danny. He knew everything about him, and that could be helpful to Evelyn.

When the news was over, Evelyn grabbed Ava's arm, and hauled her out of there.

"Ava!" They heard Danny yell, running after them.

"Danny, hi!" Ava exclaimed, giving him a hug instead of a kiss, something that he thought was strange.

"What are you doing tonight?" Danny asked, wanting to spend time with his girl.

"I am actually meeting Betty and Barbara for dinner, before my night shift, but maybe you and Evelyn could do something together?" Ava suggested, wanting her sister to talk more about Rafe, and Danny understood.

"Are you sure?" Evelyn asked, not understanding anything.

"Yes, of course I'm sure." Ava answered truthfully. She only wanted the best for them.

Ava watched as Danny and Evelyn walked away together, hoping that they would have a good relationship. They both needed a friend, and a girl couldn't ask for more than the man of her dreams was getting along with her family.

* * *

Betty stood on the corner, waiting for her with Barbara.

"Hey, Beautiful!" Betty said, wrapping her arms around her best friend's neck.

"Hey, Betty." Ava said, exhaling.

"What's going on with you?" Barbara asked, seeing that she was tired.

"I just went to watch the news with Evelyn, and ran into Danny. I told them to go have a cup of coffee and talk. Maybe they could be friends, you know." Ava answered, and her two friends looked strangely at her.

"What? What's with the look?" Ava asked her.

"Nothing. I wouldn't have let my man run off with another woman." Barbara said as they walked towards the street they were meeting the boys.

"Come on! She's my sister!" Ava exclaimed, not seeing the trouble.

"Don't listen to her, you did a good thing, Ava." Betty said looping their arms together.

Billy and Red was waiting for them, and Ava knew that they would have a good time. Too bad she had to work the whole night. It was even more boring than working during the day.

"So, how are you and Danny now?" Betty asked as they watch Barbara jumped into Billy's arms.

"We are better. He apologized for how he behaved and he has been so caring. I love him so much, I can't stop thinking about him." Ava said, feeling vulnerable.

"That's how I feel about Red. You can't actually explain it." Betty told her and jumped into Red's arms, and for some reason, he looked even more nervous than he used to.

* * *

Evelyn and Danny sat down in a café to grab a coffee and it felt nice to talk to someone that loved Rafe.

"I remember this one time when I was, like, seven years old, I was always building gadgets and things. He told me he wanted me to build him some wings, so he could fly like his daddy. I told him you can't fly without some kind of engine. But he wouldn't listen. 'Danny, never mind that, just build them anyway.' So I did. And I'm up there, strapping these big ol' wings on his back that we made from paper and glue and these massive silk bloomers that we stole. He looked so stupid, and I told him, you can't jump off the barn in these." Danny said, feeling good talking about Rafe. "And, BAM! He busted his leg on a backhoe."

"God, I miss him." Evelyn said, feeling her eyes staring to water.

"Yeah, but don't you think Rafe wasn't back up there the next day. Cast and everything." Danny continued the story and Evelyn finally started to see what Ava liked about him, he was a great guy.

* * *

"Check this out!" Billy exclaimed as they crossed the street. "Crossroads of the Pacific. Tahiti, 1,700 miles."

Ava shook her head, thinking how weird Billy actually was. They continued to walk, only to see that Red and Betty wasn't following them. Ava looked back at them, knowing something was about to happen. But the others didn't get it.

"Red, come on! We got a dinner reservation." Billy yelled over at him and Red was annoyed.

"Can you give me a minute?" Red asked, clenching his teeth.

"What's the matter, are you sick?" Barbara asked, and Ava smacked her head. How did they not get this?

"CAN A GUY PROPOSE?!" Red yelled out, and Ava started cheering, secretly wishing that Danny would propose to her one day. Barbara threw herself at Billy, as Betty said yes, and Ava ran up to Betty and Red, jumping up and down like a teenager. It felt good to laugh, to be this happy for a change.

They walked down the streets together, laughing and cheering, gaining stares from other people, thinking how outrageous it was.

They walked by the café, and saw Danny and Evelyn sitting there, talking. Billy banged on the window, making the two of them jump a little before laughing and waving. Danny looked at Ava and she looked so happy, it made him fall in love with her even more, but there was something about sitting there with Evelyn, talking about Rafe, sharing stories. He didn't do that with Ava anymore.

Ava blew both of them a kiss, before they took off down the street.

"You really love her, don't you?" Evelyn asked him.

"Yeah, sometimes, it's kinda scary. I want to do her good, you know." Danny said, smiling at Evelyn. Something inside her snapped, after just spending this little time with Danny, she had developed a little crush on her sister's boyfriend.

* * *

After eating dinner, Ava wiped her face with a napkin, and stood up.

"Well, thank you for a lovely dinner, now, I must go row with the other slaves." Ava said, standing up. Betty jumped up too, and gave her a hug.

"Please tell me right away, when you get your results." Betty whispered in Ava's ear, so no one else would hear.

"I promise." Ava whispered back, before letting her go. "Congratulations you two. Bye."

The walk to the hospital was refreshing. In was a nice night for being November, and she felt good for a change. She had been tried recently, and not feeling so good, but tonight was a good night. She had an inkling to why she had been so tired, lately, so she had Betty take a blood test on her yesterday. She wondered what Danny would say.

"Nurse Ava!" She heard someone yell from behind her, and she saw a familiar sailor come running towards her.

"Officer Grant." Ava said with a smile, but her smile turned into a frown when she saw the cut above his eye.

"What on earth have you been up to?" Ava exclaimed, checking his face.

"Just got myself into some fightin', that's all. Think you can stitch me up?" Officer Grant asked her.

"Lucky for you, I am going to the hospital for the night shift, keep this to your forehead, and I'll take you there." Ava said, handing him her handkerchief.

"Thank you, ma'am." Officer Grant said, and followed Ava towards the hospital. It was actually nice to have someone to talk to, because not much happened at the hospital at night. Ava made Officer Grant sit down, so she could start cleaning the wound.

"So, how's the family?" Ava asked, knowing that he enlisted because he could send his family money.

"They are doing well. The money I send them helps. My dad finally had enough money to fix his truck, and he can finally make his deliveries, and therefore, makes more money." Grant said, feeling proud of himself.

"That's great to hear. I'm really happy for you." Ava said, and she meant it.

"And how about you? Are you and your man happy?" Grant asked her, and she couldn't help but smile.

"We hit a rough patch after his friend died at sea, but I like to think that we're better now." Ava answered, thinking about those wonderful time they've had in the last month. Something told her that they've been having way too much fun, due to the test she took yesterday.

"But you seem happy right now." Grant said, as a fellow nurse walked over to them with a file.

"Here is the file with the test results." The nurse said. Ava didn't waste any more time, and opened it to see for herself. The answer written on that test, made her smile.

"Oh, I'm pretty happy right now." Ava said.

How could she not be? She was just about to start a family of her own.

* * *

The rest of the night went by smoothly, and before she knew it, it was morning. Ava sat by her desk, filling out some paperwork, as the new shift walked through the door. Betty ran through it first, and grabbed onto Ava immediately. Evelyn and the other nurses looked at them oddly, but it wasn't new to them that they acted like this. The two girls walked into an empty examine room, to talk privately.

"So? What's the news, did you get the results?" Betty asked a little too excited.

"Ssh, and yes I did." Ava said in a whisper.

"And? Am I getting a niece?" Betty asked hopping up and down.

"Well, give it about 7 or 8 months before I can give you that answer." Ava said, blushing, and smiling. Betty let out a scream, before wrapping her arms around her neck.

"I'm so happy for you!" Betty exclaimed. "So, when are you going to tell Danny?"

"I don't know. Oh, God! I have to tell him." Ava said, finally dawning on her that she had to tell her boyfriend.

"I'm sure he will take it fine. He loves you more than you know, so I think you should just tell him." Betty said, squeezing her hand.

"Do you really think so?" Ava asked to be sure.

"Of course, I am. Have some faith in him." Betty told her, and she knew she needed to talk to him. But she didn't know how to do it.

* * *

Ava went home to change clothes and freshen up a bit. She knew that there was no point in going over there as early as it was now. Danny would be working, and she didn't want to occupy him while he worked. Ava sat on the front porch, looking out on the people passing by. A woman, not much older than herself, carried a little girl who couldn't be older than a year or two. It made Ava smile, and place a hand over her stomach. Right now, there's a little boy or a little girl, lying in there, waiting to be born in about 7 or 8 months, and she couldn't wait to see him or her.

It was a comfortable couch, and before Ava could even do anything else, she fell asleep in the warm morning sun. One of the fellow nurses noticed, and placed a blanket over her, knowing that Ava had been working all night.

When Ava woke up a few hours later, she was well rested, but needed to get ready, because Danny would be off work soon, so she needed get over there. Ava didn't have the car, so she got someone else to drive her ever there. She noticed that the planes still were gone, so she figured that they would be back any minute now.

Without finding something else to do, she walked over to the barrack where Earl lives, and decided to pay him a visit. She knocked on the door, and she could hear him move around inside.

"Well, well, well. If it isn't Ava Johnson. I thought you decided not to work on your plane today." Earl said, letting the young woman step inside his home.

"Yeah, I'm just here to talk to Danny." Ava answered with a smile.

"Aha! They won't be finished for a few hours yet. They are out flying now, and then they would have to work on some of them afterwards, but you're more than welcome to stay here with me. I just got some new parts in, that may work on your engine. Why don't you and I go over to your hangar, and work a little on it, just until the boys get off work?" Earl told her and Ava was excited. She didn't want to disturb Danny before she knew that he was free.

"Let's do that." Ava said happily, and walked with Earl to his car. It was easier than to walk.

Ava thought that Earl was a good man. He cared about her, but she knew that he would never take her father's place. But it was nice working with someone that knew planes, just like her father used to do.

* * *

The day just seemed to go by fast, and when they finally stopped working, Ava was tried, hungry, and just wanted to see Danny.

"Wow, we've been in there longer than I thought, is dark out already." Earl said as they walked over to the car. "Come on, let's drive you back."

Ava smiled at him and nodded. They drove back towards the base, when they saw a plane flying over them, going in for landing.

"What the hell? There's not supposed to be any planes up in the air now." Earl said, and stepped on it. Ava could tell he was angry, so she didn't say anything. He stopped the car not too far away, and begun shouting.

"HEY! THAT PLANE WAS SUPPOSED TO BE BACK HERE AN HOUR AGO!" Earl shouted. Ava couldn't help but laugh at him.

"I saw someone running into the parachute hangar, let me go and have a look. I can scare him out to you." Ava suggested, deciding to do this before going to see Danny. As she neared the hangar, she could hear the voices of two people. Not just one. Wait, who would be here at this hour? And why did that sound like her sister?

Ava walked among the chutes, trying not the get caught up in them because of the wind. The parachutes were flying around, and something revealed itself when one of them blew away. Ava's heart broke into a million pieces. There, in the parachutes, stood not only her sister, but also the one man she loved most in this world, and they were kissing each other and trying to get their clothes off. Ava didn't know what to do. She couldn't believe her own eyes. This wasn't happening. This was the father of her unborn child. Her eyes were clouded with tears, and she couldn't stop herself from sobbing. The sound coming out of her mouth, was enough to make the two people she loved most in this world to break apart, and look her way. Evelyn looked at her with wide eyes, and she felt her own tears pressing on.

"Ava." She whispered under her breath. Danny looked completely shocked and stunned for what he had done. Ava looked from one to the other. They all just stood there, looking at each other.

"Ava." Danny said, his voice cracking. But Ava remained completely still, and dried her tears. Her sorrow quickly turned to anger.

"I don't ever want to see any of you ever again." Ava said dangerously, and the way she said it, made both of them walk towards her.

"Don't you even dare coming closer to me!" She warned with a yell, and they both stopped. Ava turned to her sister, her best friend in this world. "How could you do this to me?"

"Ava, I'm so sorry." Evelyn spoke, but Ava cut her off.

"You can both go to hell for all I care. I never want to talk to you again." Ava told them both, before turning around, running out of the hangar. Evelyn was dissolved into tears, and Danny looked terrified. He glanced at her once, before running after Ava, calling her name. He couldn't believe what he was about to do.

"Ava!" Danny called after him, but she had already gotten into Earl's car, telling him to step on it. Danny ran alongside the car as long as he could, but Earl stepped on it, so he could get Ava away from him. All Danny saw, was the heartbroken look on Ava's face. Danny didn't want to start crying, but he couldn't help himself.

He had done the worst thing, he could ever do to Ava. He did the one thing she told him not to do.

He had broken Ava Johnson's heart.

* * *

 **Please don't kill me for ending the chapter like this. I know it's heartbreaking, but it will get better soon. I promise you that. Please tell me what you thought of if.**

 **Until next time xD**

 ***cathrineoriginal***

* * *

 ***Dinosaur Imperial Soldier: The attack will happen soon. And I've already mapped out how I want it all to turn out. So, I'm not going to reveal too much right now.**


	6. What to do?

**Sorry for the long wait. I hope you'll enjoy this chapter.**

 _ **I do not own "Pearl Harbor" only my oc.**_

 ***cathrineoriginal***

* * *

Ava could hear Danny shouting for her to stop, as Earl drove them away from the base. He understood that something bad happened, and he wanted nothing more than to turn the car around, and mess that pretty boy up. But something told him that Ava needed him more. She needed his support.

"I need some help to move my stuff from the house. Do you think you can help me?" Ava asked him as the quietly drove towards town.

"If that's what you need, sugar. I'll move the entire house if you asked me to." Earl told her, trying to put a smile on her face. Ava couldn't find it within her to laugh. Her heart was too shattered for that. Ava wanted to move out of the house as quickly as possible, not wanting to stay under the same roof as her sister. She needed to get away.

Earl stopped the car outside of the house, at the same time as Betty, Barbara and Martha ran out to the porch.

"Ava, what's going on?" Betty asked, seeing the distraught look on her best friend's face.

"I have to leave." Ava said, rushing through the door. Betty could tell that something bad has happened.

"Ava. What happened? Did you tell Danny?" Betty asked, trying to get her to stop packing her things.

"No, I didn't tell Danny. He was busy." Ava practically hissed.

"Busy with what?" Barbara asked. "And what did you need to tell him?"

"Not now, Barbara." Betty shot back at her. "What do you mean busy?"

Just as Ava was about to answer, the door was opened with great force, and Evelyn ran into the room. She was dissolved in tears, and it made Ava sick.

"Ava..." She started to say, but her younger sister just ignored her. "Ava, please listen. I am so sorry."

"Betty? You want to know why Danny was so busy?" Ava asked, turning towards her best friend. Betty looked at her with a confused look on her face. Ava turned back to her backstabbing sister and slapped her across the face. Her fellow nurses gasped at Ava's actions but said nothing.

"Ask the person I once called my sister." Ava said out of breath. Her eyes were stinging with tears, as she grabbed her suitcase, and walked out of the house, ignoring the pleas from Evelyn.

"Ava, please. I'm so sorry! Please don't leave!" Evelyn pleaded, trying to catch up with her.

"I don't want to hear it, Evelyn." Ava said, giving her suitcase to Earl. "What you did, I can never forgive. What you did, what Danny did…. It broke my heart, seeing you like that. You're dead to me, Evelyn, and I never want to talk to you again."

Evelyn understood her younger sister's reaction. Ava had a hard time opening up to people, and she was vulnerable. Evelyn had done the worst thing possible. Danny, had done the worst thing possible.

They had shattered Ava's heart, and Evelyn knew, there was no way of putting it back together.

Earl didn't say anything as they drove away from the house. Ava was a complete mess, crying her eyes out. But Earl didn't know where to drive her and had to speak up.

"Uhm… where do you want me to take you, sweetheart?" Earl asked her quietly.

"Uhm… I don't know where to go, really. Just take me to the hospital, and I'll stay there for the night. Maybe I can find a new house tomorrow." Ava answered, wiping her eyes. Earl didn't like the idea of Ava staying at the hospital in this state, but right now, the hospital was the best place he could take her.

He hated seeing Ava like this, and it broke his heart. Seeing Ava, reminded him of his own daughter back in the States. She was only 14, and luckily, not old enough to become a nurse, and Earl wanted to protect Ava in the same way he would've protected his own daughter.

Ava jumped out of the car as soon as possible after Earl stopped it outside the hospital. He helped her with her bags, and Ava was grateful.

"Thank you for your help, Earl. I'm forever grateful." Ava said, tears still lingering in her eyes. Earl gave her a sad smile and kissed her forehead.

"Anytime, Sugar. Anytime." Earl replied, making sure that Ava was okay.

"You should get back to base." Ava told him, grabbing her suitcase.

"All right. Let me know if you need anything." Earl said, as he jumped into his car.

"I promise." Ava replied and walked into the hospital. She didn't want to spend the night in the rooms they had here, but it was a lot better than spending it under the same roof as Evelyn or Danny. Ava laid down on one of the cots, curling into a fetal position, trying not to think about what she saw earlier tonight. She was all alone in this world. She only had herself, and her unborn child. Ava slowly brought her hand down to her stomach, caressing it gently through her dress.

"It's just me and you now, peanut." Ava whispered, before crying herself to sleep.

* * *

 _Earlier that evening._

Evelyn stood there frozen, as she watched Danny run after the car, calling Ava's name. Evelyn scrambled with getting her blouse on and found it difficult because of the tears clouding her eyes.

"AVA!" Danny yelled, but he couldn't get her to stop. Evelyn walked out of the hangar, trying to get to her car. She found Danny outside, fallen to his knees. She couldn't find it in her to talk to him, and just jumped into her car, and drove after her sister. She needed to tell Ava how sorry she was, and that she made a mistake.

Evelyn has never driven this fast before, at one point, she almost drove off the road in the desperation to get to her sister.

She parked the car behind Earl's, praising the lord that he took her back here. She sprinted up the stairs to the porch, and slammed the door open, making every nurse in the house to look at her in shock.

The look Ava gave her, was the worst she'd ever seen. The look of betrayal, the look of hurt beyond reason.

"Ava." Evelyn said in a low whisper. But Ava narrowed her eyes at her, and it felt dangerously cold.

"Betty? You want to know why Danny was so busy?" Ava asked, turning towards her best friend. Betty looked at her with a confused look on her face. Ava turned back to her backstabbing sister and slapped her across the face. Evelyn knew it was coming, and she knew it would hurt later on, but she knew she deserved this.

"Ask the person I once call my sister." Ava said with tears in her eyes, and it made Evelyn feel even smaller, but she had to do something to make her sister stay and talk to her, but it wasn't that easy. Hearing your own sister telling you that you are dead to them, is the worst feeling in the world, and yet, Evelyn couldn't compare it to how Ava felt at this moment.

But Evelyn was confused. Danny had been a support she really needed, and the way he reminded her of Rafe. It had felt safe, and familiar, and the kissing had just happened. Gosh! She was the worst person in the world.

"I am so sorry, Ava." Evelyn whispered in the wind, as she watched Ava leave. Probably for good.

Earl came back to base, only to find Danny pacing back and forth, trying to get a car to go and see Ava. Danny knew the second he saw Earl, that he was in for a beating of some sort. But that's not what happen. Earl only looked at him long, and hard, the disappointment showing in his eyes, and then, he just turned around, and walked away from him, not uttering a single word. Somehow, that stung even deeper.

Danny finally got himself a car and drove to Ava's house. It was already late, and the rest of the house was dark and quiet, but Danny didn't care.

"Ava!" He yelled, banging on the door. "Ava, please talk to me!"

The lights went on, and one angry Betty came out on the porch, wearing her night gown, and a shotgun in her hand.

"You, have a lot of nerve showing up here. And, it's in the middle of the night!" Betty hissed, poking him in the chest.

"I don't care! I need to talk to Ava." Danny told her, and saw Evelyn standing there, tears in her eyes. He didn't even feel anything for her, why had he been so stupid?

"You can't talk to her." Betty said firmly.

"Please! I need to talk to her." Danny pleaded.

"You can't talk to her, because she's not here." Betty argued back.

"What do you mean?" Danny asked.

"She left, Danny." Evelyn told him. "Ava got into the car with Earl, and they left. We don't know where."

"But… Earl came back to the base alone. She could be anywhere!" Danny exclaimed, kicking over a trashcan.

"You need to leave, before I go all kinds of crazy on you." Betty warned, and something told Danny to stay clear of Betty. She may be young, but she could be potentially deadly, if she wanted to.

Danny got back into the car and drove down the road. He hated himself for what he did. How could he have been so stupid? Ava was his rock, the woman he planned to spend the rest of his life with, and he threw it away as if it was nothing. Danny stopped his car and broke down. He was full on sobbing, knowing that he had lost the one thing that mattered to him, and he had no one to blame but himself.

* * *

Ava woke up the next morning, feeling like utter crap. She felt nauseous, and stiff from spending the night on a cot in the hospital.

Her back was sore, and the bile threatened to come up any second now. She shook herself and decided that she needed to get some breakfast. She walked out to the wings of the hospital, finding one patient lying there, with a broken leg.

"Hey, Hank." Ava said tiredly, waving at him.

"My, oh, my. To what do I owe this pleasure, nurse Ava?" Hank asked her.

"Well, I was thinking that, maybe you would like to have breakfast with me, seeing you're the only one here, and I could use the company." Ava said, giving her best smile.

"Well, I would be honored to share my puddin' with you, darling." Hank said, patting on the bed next to him.

This was exactly what Ava needed right now, to not think about Evelyn nor Danny.

Somehow, she managed to go through all morning without bumping into them, and it made it easier for her to breathe. She grabbed her journal, and decided to walk down to the beach, getting some writing done. Her head was swimming, and she needed to get her thoughts down on paper.

 _"I get it why they call it a heartbreak. It's this deep feeling in your chest, something inexplicable. The pain isn't sharp, or dull, the pain is tight. The pain is like a balloon, full of so much air, the rubber is stretched so tight—ready to burst. And then, the pain is fleeting._

 _Heartbreak is a bubble pipe that just keeps making bubbles. It may start as a filling and a bursting, but the bubbles just keep coming. Little bubbles of heartbreak that sneak up on you and burst, inundating you again with the tears or the sorrow filling that bubble. You turn a corner and run into a bubble because there receding into the distance is a figure that reminds you of your heartbreak. You smell cinnamon and apples and find another bubble of heartbreak bursting, reminding you of how she liked to bake. So, until the bubble pipe runs dry, there will always be a moment of heartbreak, just around the next corner._

 _The truth is, with time, the bubbles are no longer as painful, and you no longer want them to go away."_

The sound of laughter brought Ava out of her thoughts. She looked up from her journal and spotted a young couple. It made Ava sad.

That's how she and Danny acted, that day they spent together, on the beach. They looked so much in love, and Ava couldn't stand that. A plane soared over the sky, and Ava looked up at it, and for some reason, she thought about her father. How they spent their time up in the sky, and how she wanted that her son or daughter would experience with Danny. Now, she didn't even know how to handle this on her own. How was she supposed to do that?

Ava tried not to start crying again and continued with her writing. It's odd how much it helps.

The sun was high up on the sky, and the beach got even more crowded than before. Ava had no idea how long she's been sitting here, but she figured it was about time to get out of the sand and find something to eat. The little bugger craved food. She was packing her things, when she felt someone sitting down next to her. She turned her head and saw Betty.

"Hey. I've been looking everywhere for you." Betty said softly.

"Hey… yeah, sorry. I just lost track of time." Ava replied with a sigh. "I had a lot on my mind, I guess."

"Where did you go last night?" Betty asked.

"I had Earl drop me off at the hospital. I didn't know where else to go." Ava answered. "Which reminds me…. I need to get to the main office, so that I can change houses. There's no way I'll be able to go back and live under the same roof as her."

"I know that you don't like your sister right now, but you forget that if you leave, not only will it punish your sister, you'll be punishing all your friends as well. We all missed you at the house last night."

It made Ava feel bad. Last night, she had been in such a mood, and she didn't have it in her mind how this must have looked like.

"I know, and I missed you too." Ava said and hugged her best friend. Betty gave her a smile, before helping Ava up from the sand.

"Come on, mama. Lunch is on me." Betty said, linking her arm with her best friend.

* * *

Danny left the base, hoping that he would bump into Ava. He had been a mess all night, and he couldn't sleep because of that heartbroken look she had on her face. Even if he could have slept, Earl did all he could to keep him up all night anyway. He knew he needed to try and talk to Ava. He needed to at least try.

He drove the familiar road towards the house Ava left last night. He thought that maybe she had returned, but that would be a long shot.

Danny decided to do what he could and stopped in town to get her the biggest bunch of flowers. She deserved that, and so much more. He didn't know what to do without her. It was the worst feeling he had ever felt, and he wanted it to go away. The house looked quiet in the Hawaiian sun, and after knocking on the door for five minutes, he understood that no one was home. He returned to his car and drove towards the center of town. Maybe he would be luckier on seeing her there? He drove in silence, not bothering with keeping the radio on.

He turned right on the main street, when he saw someone familiar. Not the person he wanted to see, but someone that may know where Ava is.

"Evelyn!" Danny called out in desperation as he turned off his car. "Evelyn! Wait, please!"

Evelyn did not want to talk to Danny right now. It wouldn't do anyone any good. She just continued down the street in a hurry, but Danny was able to catch up with her.

"Evelyn, stop!" Danny rushed out as he grabbed her shoulder.

"What do you want, Danny?" She asked him. "If this is about the mistake we made last night, I don't want to hear it."

"I know it was a mistake. I just wondered if you've seen Ava today. I can't seem to find her." Danny said, and Evelyn could see how heartbroken he was. Danny looked like hell, and it made her even more heartbroken.

"No, I don't know where she is, and it's killing me. God! Why did we have to be so stupid?" Evelyn asked, cursing herself for what they had done. "Ava is so careful with her heart. She is never going to forgive us for this. I hate myself!"

Danny felt bad for the way Evelyn felt about herself, but she was right. The only thing Ava asked of him when they started dating, was to not break her heart. And they had done exactly that.

"I need your help to get her back." Danny told her, making Evelyn look up at him.

"How? We don't even know where she is, and there's not even a chance that she would ever talk to us if we ever find her.

"I don't care. You're her sister, and I love her more than I've ever loved anyone. I need to get her back." Danny practically yelled. "I need her to know how sorry I am, and that I would do anything to get her back."

Evelyn looked up at him with teary eyes, before wrapping her arms around him, happy that he was this serious about Ava. She sobbed into his chest, thanking him for loving her sister the way he claimed to do.

Further down the road, Ava and Betty was trying to find somewhere to have lunch. Betty kept her arm in the crook of Ava's arm and they walked in a calm pace.

"How are you feeling?" Betty asked quietly, hugging her best friend even closer to her side.

"Heartbroken, nauseous, hungry." Ava answered. "The little one is hungry all the time, but still. I feel too sick to eat."

"That's not good." Betty said with a frown. "Do you think you'll be able to talk to Danny and Evelyn at all? In the future, I mean."

"I don't know. No matter what I do, Danny is always going to be the baby's father, and Evelyn is always going to be my sister. But how can I face them after what they did to me?" Ava asked.

"I don't know, Ava. All I know, is that when Danny came to look for you last night, he was heartbroken too, and I wanted more than anything, to hurt him for what they did to you. I actually brought a shotgun with me."

Ava shook her head, trying not to laugh. She didn't even want to laugh, not really.

"I don't know. Maybe I should try talking to Danny in a few days." Ava told her. "Even though he broke my heart, I still love him. And I want him to give him a chance to know…."

* * *

Ava zoned out the talking. There, on the street right in front of her, Ava saw Evelyn with her arms wrapped around Danny, holding onto him for dear life. It made her heart shatter all over again. Tears threatened to escape, and if felt as if she couldn't breathe.

"Ava, what wrong?" Betty asked when she felt her stop. She followed her eyes and saw the same thing Ava witnessed.

How could they do this to her? How could they treat her like this? Ava tried her best to hide her tears, but it wasn't possible.

Evelyn could feel eyes on her, and removed herself from Danny, only to find Ava standing there, tears falling down her face.

"Ava!" Evelyn said under her breath, and that made Danny turn around. Finally seeing the love of his life standing there, obviously hurt, did something to him. That hurt in her eyes, turned into anger rather quickly, and Ava didn't care that she was openly crying. Danny took a few steps closer to her, and that made Ava take a few steps back.

"Ava please. This isn't what it looks like, I swear." Danny pleaded, knowing that this looked so bad.

"No! don't ever come near me again. I thought in my head that I should talk to you, because I still love you, but seeing that you've already made your choice, make me feel so stupid. I wish you all the best. You deserve each other. But know this: Never talk to me again, never even try to be in the same room as me. If you see me on the street, walk the other way." Ava said with venom in her voice.

"Ava, please." Danny pleaded once more.

"No! I knew I was right about you that time during the checkup. I knew I couldn't trust you, and you promised me that you would never break my heart, and yet, the first chance you got, you did. Now I feel stupid for letting you in. Too bad my heart isn't the only one that got broken over all of this. Have a nice life."

Ava turned on her heel, trying to get as far away from them as possible. She never wanted to look at them again.

"Ava!" She heard Evelyn yell after her, and she knew that her sister was following her. Without being able to control herself, Ava turned around and punched her sister straight in the nose, drawing blood. Evelyn fell to the ground, but she wasn't angry with Ava. Not at all. She knew that Ava would react this way.

"I never meant to hurt you." Evelyn said through her tears. "I know what I did was stupid, and I wish I could take it back. You must believe me. You're my sister. My little Aviator."

"I was NEVER your Aviator! That was our dad's nickname for me." Ava said, angry and crying all at once. "I wonder if he would be just as disappointed if he could see how pathetic you've become."

Ava walked away after that, with Betty running after her, trying to catch up with her friend. She loved how Ava stood up for herself in that moment. She just wished that she could spare her all this heartache.

Ava practically ran away from it all. Betty tried to keep up with her, but it was no use. Ava ran towards the bus, that was going back to the base, just to get away from it all. She needed to get her plane done, and she needed to do something to get her mind off everything. Earl told her to come if she needed anything, and right now, she needed to fix something, to control something, when she couldn't control her life.

The bus ride was dreadful, hot, and sticky. Ava felt uncomfortable all the way out there. She hated it, but she wanted to see her plane. Do the rest, and maybe be able to fly it soon.

* * *

The bus stopped just outside Earl's hangar, and Ava wanted to go and see him. Luckily, he was in there, going over some plans, and she knocked on the door. He looked up and saw her there.

"Hey, sweetheart. How are you feeling today?" Earl asked her, removing his cigarette from his mouth. Ava had promised herself that she wouldn't cry again, not because of what happened. So, she just turned off completely.

"Hurt… But then again… Angry for being so stupid. I should've never let Danny Walker into my heart." Ava said, but Earl knew that she only did this because she was protecting herself, not being able to let herself be exposed like that.

Earl knew that Ava was angry, but mostly hurting. He only wanted the best for her, and brought his arm around her shoulder.

"Well, sweetheart… What would you say to me being able to get the parts that you need?" Earl asked and for some reason, Ava felt loved.


	7. I Wish I Didn't Love You So Much

**Hi, everyone! Sorry for the wait. I give you the next charter of my story. Theres only one more chapter before the war catches up to them. I also want to say to all of you that reviewed chapter 5: I loved every comment I got! I just forgot to address you for them! Thank you everybody!**

 ** _I do not own Pearl Harbor, only my oc._**

 **Let me know what you think!**

 ***cathrineoriginal***

* * *

 **Pearl Habor December 6, 1941**

Ava wished that things were different. She tried her best not to give Danny that much thought. Mainly because it hurt her heart too much to think about it. Especially now, being pregnant and all. Ava was about 10 weeks pregnant now, but still hadn't told anyone but Betty. If she didn't show, she wouldn't tell anyone else yet.

It's been about two weeks since she found out about Evelyn and Danny, and it still hurt as hell. She did everything she could to avoid them at all costs, but sometimes, she was forced to work the same shift as her sister. Ava used all her time on the few patients that was admitted at the hospital, or she begged the doctor on call to make her do paperwork by herself in the office. But not today…

Dr. Wellington, a new doctor at the hospital, came over to her that morning.

"Nurse Johnson? I'm sorry to bother you, but I need you to go out to the base and stitch up a pilot. He injured himself while working." Dr. Wellington told her. Ava felt her stomach turning. She really didn't want to go to the base when she knew that Earl wasn't there today. He was at the other base where she kept her plane. Earl told Ava he had to be out there for a few days, but that he would return to her birthday. Ava's birthday was just around the corner. In only two days, December 8th. She had hoped that she would have celebrated it with Danny, but that's not how things work.

"Yes, of course." Ava replied, not wanting to argue and explain to the new doctor why she didn't want to go out there today.

Ava started to pack her bag with the necessary supplies. She took a deep breath when the baby made her a little dizzy. She stood up too fast.

Ava shook it off and continued with her task. She wanted to get this over with, before she went home to relax. Home… Ava managed to get another house to stay in, with some lovely nurses, but still met up with Betty every day. She hated the fact that Ava wouldn't come back and refused to talk with Evelyn at all. She wanted nothing to do with her. Not as long as Ava wasn't talking to Evelyn.

Speaking of Evelyn… Ava could hear footsteps coming into the supply closet.

"Hey…" Ava recognized that voice anywhere. It was her sister.

"Hey…" Ava replied, turning back to her task, not wanting to engage in conversation.

"Are you going somewhere?" Evelyn asked.

"Nothing gets by you, does it?" Ava answered a little harsh. "I'm going out to the base to stitch up some pilot. Not that it's any of your business."

"Come on, Ava. I'm trying here." Evelyn pleaded. "I've apologized to you several times, I haven't even talked to Danny since you punched me in the face. I just want my sister back."

"Well… I'm not ready to forgive you yet. You're my sister, and I love you… But what you did... I'm not sure if I'll ever get past it. I still need more time." Ava told her. She actually missed her sister, she missed their talks, their special bond. But it was hard for Ava to just go back to the way things were. She didn't trust her sister anymore, and that really said it all. If she couldn't trust her sister, nothing Evelyn could say or do, would be good enough.

"I really miss you. I wish there was something I could do to make you talk to me again." Evelyn said, taking another step towards her little sister.

"Yeah well… you can't have everything, can you?" Ava told her, trying not to cry again. "I have to go…"

Ava grabbed her bag and walked out of the closet. She hurried her way out of the hospital and out to the awaiting vehicle. Ava turned towards the hospital entrance, seeing Evelyn standing there, and she could tell that Evelyn wanted to run after her again, but instead, she held back a sob, and walked back into the hospital, and for some reason; it made Ava feel bad.

* * *

The car drove that 15-minute drive to the base and the driver didn't engage in talk, which Ava was grateful for. She was in the stage of pregnancy that she became car sick. She never experienced that before she became pregnant, so she used the car ride, focusing on not throwing up.

When the car came to a stop outside one of the barracks, Tony stood there waiting for her.

"Hey, Ava." Tony said politely, helping her out of the car.

"Hey, Tony. How are you?" Ava asked him.

"I'm doing fine. Gotten a little sunburnt, but nothing I can't handle. How are you doing?" Tony asked her.

"I'm doing better, thank you for asking. I'm here to stitch up a pilot." Ava told him.

"Ah, yes… right this way." Tony said, showing her inside the barrack right in front of them. Ava grabbed her bag just before the car drove off. He seemed as if he was in a hurry. Ava found Billy sitting in a chair, holding his bloodied hand with a cloth. Ava fought the urge to roll her eyes.

"Oh, Billy… what did you do this time?" Ava said, trying to sound sympathetic.

"I uh.. had an accident…" Billy said, trying not to blush. Ava somehow figured that it must have had something to do with Barbara, but she did not want to think about that right now.

"Come on… let's get you cleaned up." Ava said, gesturing Billy to follow her towards the table where the light was better.

* * *

At the same time, in one of the hangars, Danny, Gooz and Red was working on one of the planes. They were making modifications on the engine, talking loosely among themselves. Mostly talking about Red's upcoming wedding to Betty, which made Danny think even more about Ava. But in reality, Ava was all he ever thought about. He had tried to respect her wishes about staying away from her, but he found it difficult. He had tried to come up with a plan to get her alone in a room, not letting her have an escape, but it was easier said than done. She always had a way out somehow.

"Hey, Tony! Is Billy all right?" Gooz asked as Tony joined them.

"Yeah… he's gonna be fine. Nurse Ava is with him right now, stitching him up as we speak." Tony told them. Danny immediately dropped his tools in pure shock.

"Ava is here?" Danny almost choked out, feeling his face grow all red.

"Yeah. She was the nurse on call." Tony explained.

"How long has she been here?" Danny asked quickly.

"I don't know… 30 minutes maybe." Tony answered as Danny jumped off the plane. He ran out of the hanger, hoping to god that wouldn't miss this opportunity. He needed to talk to her, and he needed to talk to her now.

* * *

Ava sat at the table, fixing up Billy's hand, he told her all about how he injured it, and luckily, it was not from having intercourse with Barbara.

"Hey, Ava… How well do you know Barbara?" Billy asked suddenly.

"I like to think that I know her pretty well. She's a good friend." Ava answered with a smile. "I'm glad to have her in my life."

"Yeah… I couldn't agree with you more. But how do you know if you want to spend the rest of your life with a person?" Billy added, taking Ava by surprise.

"I think there's a lot of things actually. I think that if the person makes you smile, make you feel safe and loved. A person that you know would stand by you through everything life throws your way, a person that makes your life better, even though all they are doing is simply being there and being who they are." Ava told him, and it made her miss Danny even more. "Those are you some of the reasons I can think of. But all in all. Can you imagine waking up every day not having that person next to you?"

Billy gave Ava a huge smile.

"I want to show you something." Billy said as Ava made the last stitch on his wound. He walked over to his cot and opened his duffle bag. He fished out something in a little bag and brought it with him.

"I'm going to ask Barbara to marry me." Billy said, and it brought tears of joy in Ava's eyes, as Billy showed her the ring. "It belonged to my grandmother. I want to give it to Barbara."

"Billy! It's so beautiful!" Ava exclaimed. "Barbara is going to love it!"

"Yeah, you think so? I'm kind of nervous that she will turn me down." Billy said, rather unsure.

"I'm certain she will jump you as soon as she sees it. You are meant to be, Billy." Ava told him, and it was the truth. "So when do you think you'll ask her?"

"I was thinking about New Year's Eve, or Christmas Eve. I want to do it soon." Billy said with a huge smile on his face, and it made Ava feel jealous in a way. She wanted that.

"I'm sure it'll be beautiful." Ava told him.

"Thank you, Ava." Billy told her eying her carefully. "Hey, Ava? Whatever happens, I know that you'll be happy… Something tells me that everything will work out in the end. What you and Danny have, it's for life. He's just lost himself along the way. But you'll find a way back to each other…"

Ava wanted to cry but held it back.

"Thank you, Billy." Ava choked out. Billy only gave her a smile, before waving goodbye. The silence that followed, was almost too much for her. Ava slowly caressed her belly, thinking about what Billy told her. Did she want to give Danny a second chance? Could she look past all of this and be happy with him?

Ava shook her head and started to clean up after herself. She placed the things in her bag when she heard someone walked through the door.

"Did you lose something?" Ava asked, thinking it was Billy who had returned.

"Yeah… you." A familiar voice said, and it gave Ava chills. She knew it was Danny. She turned around quickly, laying eyes on him for the first time in two weeks, and he didn't look that good. He had dark circles under his eyes, he looked genuinely lost. It pained Ava to see him like this.

"Danny… what are you doing here?" Ava asked, her voice breaking. It was hard seeing him like this.

"I need to talk to you. And when Tony told me that you were here, I came here right away." Danny answered, and he was nervous. "I wasn't sure I believed him. I wanted to, but I wasn't sure that it was true."

Ava suddenly felt bad that he was rambling like he did.

"So, how are you?" Danny asked her suddenly and Ava didn't know what to answer.

"I uh… I've been busy, at the hospital…" Ava said, closing her bag.

"Really?" Danny said a little amused, because he knew that it wasn't that much to do at the hospital.

"No, not really. It's been rather boring." Ava answered. They stood there looking at each other for what felt like forever. It was awkward and painful. As if none of them wanted to really talk about the thing that's been causing them all this pain.

"I, uh… I should get back to the hospital." Ava said almost in a whisper and started to walk to the door. She wasn't looking forward walking past him. Before she could open the door, Danny pushed her back against the door and kissed her before she had a chance to stop him. Feeling his lips on hers felt like everything fell into place. It was like breathing for the very first time, filling your lungs with precious air, and Ava couldn't help but kiss him back. She wrapped her arms around his neck, trying to bring him as close as possible. Her belly filled up with butterflies and she has never felt more alive. But then she remembered his betrayal, and she did everything she could to push him away. With a lot of effort, she managed to do so, and she was livid.

"No! You can't just kiss me and make everything go away. It doesn't work like that." Ava practically screamed at him, and Danny knew he had stepped over a line.

"I know, Ava, and I'm sorry. But I miss you so much. I love you more than anything." Danny said, caressing her cheek. Ava tried her best not to lean into his touch, but she couldn't help it. Just feeling him being near like this, was making her forget everything.

"I know what I did was wrong and horrible. I wasn't thinking straight, but I can't live without you." Danny told her, and she could feel tears cloud her vision. "I don't want to live without you any longer."

"Don't say things like that to me, Danny. It doesn't make it better, it doesn't make what happen untrue." Ava argued. "God knows what would've happened if I hadn't caught the two of you in that hangar. That's what hurt the most. You broke the one promise you swore you would never break. You promised to never break my heart, but yet, you did. I don't know if my heart can take another break like that. Not when…."

Ava was about to tell Danny about the baby, when a knock on the door stopped them.

"Lieutenant Walker!" Someone yelled from outside. Danny cursed under his breath. This was so not the time.

"Not now!" He barked back at the man.

"I'm sorry, sir, but I have a letter here for you. It's labeled important." The man said back. Danny ripped the door open and took the letter from him.

Danny opened the letter and started reading, and Ava thought that this was her cue to leave. Maybe he wouldn't notice that she would leave. Ava turned around, about to walk out the door, when she heard Danny gasp. He was grasping onto the nearest thing he could find, to prevent that his legs would give out.

"It's not possible!" Danny muttered under his breath. Ava stopped running away and walked over to Danny.

"Danny, what's wrong?" Ava asked concerned. Danny was pale white.

"It's Rafe…" Danny answered but Ava couldn't understand anything. Rafe died months ago, why would the letter take this long?

"What about Rafe?" Ava asked in a low voice.

"He's still alive." Danny told her, and Ava's eyes almost popped out of her head. She took the letter and read it herself. It was true, he was alive. He was on his way here, and Ava knew where he would go first. There was no question about it.

"We have to go back to the hospital. We have to see him." Ava said and dragged Danny with her. Right now, nothing mattered more than seeing Rafe again. The problems they had would have to wait.

* * *

Evelyn was trying to do the last of the paperwork that Ava usually did, but she couldn't concentrate right now. She was thinking about her sister, and how hard everything was. She wanted to go back in time, and fix everything, but she understood it would take time. After 30 minutes, she decided to give up. It was already dark, and something was lurking in the shadows, making her uncomfortable.

She gathered her things and hoped that tomorrow would be better. Evelyn walked out of the hospital, making her way towards her house, when she almost bumped into someone. She stopped in shock, taking in the features of the man standing in front of her. She wanted to scream, but she couldn't form any words. She took a step back, trying to see if her eyes weren't playing her a trick. Rafe stood there in front of her, and she thought she was going crazy. She carefully reaches out for him, but she didn't dare touch him. She was afraid that he would disappear again.

"I told you I'd come back." Rafe said in a low voice, and that made Evelyn snap. She threw her arms around him, holding on for dear life. She sobbed into his chest not knowing what else to do. He could understand her reaction and brought her over to a bench nearby.

"You're real." Evelyn breathed out, touching his face gently in the process. She still couldn't believe it though…

"Yeah."

"I wished for this every day." Evelyn told him.

"I know, me too. Every second, so did I." Rafe said, leaning his forehead against hers. The guilt she felt earlier about Danny and the fact that she kind of cheated on him, made things a lot harder. It all came back to her now.

"I thought you were dead. They said you were shot down in the sea." Evelyn told him, tears streaming down her face.

"Yeah, I was. I was in the ocean. It was so cold. I missed you." Rafe said. "I got picked up by a French fishing boat, and I was in occupied France, and I couldn't get word out. And I'll tell you all about it, I promise. But I'm fine, I'm okay. And I'm here now. Evelyn… I just wanted to see you. You're so beautiful."

Evelyn tried to quiet her screaming thought, push away the quilt she felt and kissed him. She hoped that the nagging feeling would go away, but it only made it worse.

"I have to tell you something." Evelyn said as soon as she pushed herself away from Rafe. Maybe she didn't sleep with Danny, but she was close to doing so, and she allowed herself to fall in love with him.

Ava and Danny parked their car in the parking lot behind the hospital, they jumped out of it quickly and ran towards the entrance. They figured that Rafe would go there first. As they approached, they could see Evelyn and Rafe sitting there, talking together.

Ava slowed down a little trying to give them some space.

"Rafe." Danny exclaimed, and Ava could understand how Danny felt right about now. He never thought this was possible. He saw his best friend again.

But something was off. Rafe didn't look happy to see him at all. He looked angry, betrayed. And it dawned on Ava. Evelyn had told Rafe about Danny and herself, and Rafe reacted much like I did when I caught them red-handed. Rafe stood up and backed away from all of them.

"Stay away." Rafe told them and walked away. Danny and Evelyn looked at each other, trying to figure out how to work this out, and they didn't know how to do it. Ava couldn't watch and walked back inside to put her bag back. And Ava wanted Danny to follow her, because they still had some unresolved issues. But he didn't come after her. Her best guess was that Danny had gone after Rafe. That would be the smartest thing to do.

* * *

Ava ignored her sister when she got back outside. She couldn't deal with her crying sister right now. She walked down to the beach, taking her shoes off as she went, loving the feeling of warm sand between her toes. She walked along for some time, listening to the waves coming in, and it was soothing. She found a spot and sat down to do some thinking. This was all so difficult.

"Penny for your thoughts." She heard a voice say behind her. She turned her head to see Betty walking towards her. "You look deep in thought."

"Hey! Yeah, I guess I am." I told Betty as she sat down next to me in the sand.

"I went out to base today, to help Billy stitching up a wound, and I somehow ended up with kissing Danny." Ava told her, and Betty wasn't sure if she heard right.

"What? How did that happen?" Betty asked surprised. Ava told Betty all about what happened, and about Rafe coming back, that he wasn't dead after all. Betty wasn't sure if she believed it all, but the look on Ava's face told her that she wasn't making stuff up. Betty looped her arm through Ava's, leaning her head against Ava's shoulder, snuggling to her side.

"For what it's worth, Ava… I will always be your friend, and I'll always be here for you. You'll never lose me, that's a promise." Betty told her, and Ava kissed the top of her best friend's head. She loved this girl, and knew she had a friend for life in her. They looked out on the ocean together, enjoying the peaceful evening. Right now, things didn't seem so wrong and out of control.

But something told Ava that it was only calm before the storm, and she couldn't be righter.

* * *

 **Well, I hope it was worth the wait. So, the next chapter is when the war begin. I'm not sure if I'm going to do one or two chapters about it... I'll know better as it goes along. Please tell me what you think!**

 **Until next time!**

 ***cathrineoriginal***

* * *

 ***NicoleR85: Thank you so much! I'm sorry about the wait! Hope it was worth it!**

 ***JellyfishnamedSquid: Thank you so much! I'm glad you like it!**

 ***Arizona-Jade: Thank you so much!**


	8. Riders In The Sky

**Hi everyone! The next chapter is here! And it's about to go down! The war has finally caught up with them.**

 **Read to find out how this will affect Ava.**

 **Thank you so much for all of those that reviewed my last chapter. It means a lot to me!**

 _ **I do not own "Pearl Harbor" only my OC.**_

 ***cathrineoriginal***

* * *

 _ **Sunday December 7th 1941**_

Ava didn't sleep that much that night. It was hot and sticky, so she only got a few hours of sleep after saying goodbye to Betty. She loved that girl.

The sun wasn't even up yet when she jumped out of bed. She looked at the clock in the living room. It was only 05.30 in the morning. Ava was deadly tired but because of that feeling that something was about to happen, kept her awake. She put on her jump suit and decided to drive over to Earl at the base he stayed at. She knew her plane was ready soon, and maybe this was the day she could finally fly it… Earl told her that he would do the last check-up and the he promised Ava that she would be able to take it up in the air soon. She couldn't wait.

It was still early, when she drove her car out to the base. The marina was just coming alive as the sun came up on the horizon. It seemed as if it was going to be a beautiful day. But then again… Pearl Harbor was always beautiful.

About 20 minutes later, she arrived at the base and she drove her car all the way over to her hangar. As she stopped, she saw Earl coming out of the tower. He looked as if he had just woken up or something.

"Damn, girl. What are you doing here at this hour? You're earlier than the rooster back at the farm. All though he was a lazy bastard." Earl said, lighting a cigarette. "How are you today baby girl?"

"I'm doing better, I think. I talk a little with Danny yesterday, not that it went all that well." Ava told him.

"I'm sorry, sweetheart… what did he do now?" Earl asked, looking at her with sympathy.

"He cornered me and told me that he loved me. He told me he wanted me back and wished that he could undo all the things he had done wrong." Ava said with a sigh.

"And what did you do then?" Earl asked her, raising an eyebrow.

"Well… I let him kiss me. Until I remembered that a kiss wouldn't solve anything. But I miss him, Earl. I miss him, and I love him." Ava told him. "But right now, something major must happen for me to go back to him… and I don't see that happening in the future."

"Don't say that, dollface. You never know how this is going to turn out. You just have to be honest with yourself and see if you want that boy to be a part of your future. And if you decide to let him back into your life; you damn well better make him work for it." Earl said, almost in warning. Ava was actually tempted to tell him that she was pregnant, but something held her back.

"Oh, and by the way… I've checked out your air craft. She's good to go, baby." Earl told her, and Ava broke into the biggest smile.

"Really? My baby is ready?" Ava asked delighted.

"Yep. All clear and ready to go." Earl confirmed. Ava let out a squeal and jumped into Earl's arms. Earl laughed at her antics and hugged her back. He loved seeing the smile on her face and he really thought of her as his daughter. He just hoped his own daughter wouldn't get jealous.

Ava opened the hangar and walked in. She took in the beauty before her. She loved this plane, and it made her think that her father would be so proud of her. Ava poured some water and soap in a bucket and decided to clean up her plane a little. She needed it to be at it's best when she finally took it out. This was all she ever wanted, and she realized one thing about this… she wanted to share this with Danny… wherever he may be at this hour.

* * *

Evelyn paced her room. She had woken up early, hoping that she would go and see her sister. But her roommates told her that she just missed Ava. They said that she had left a few minutes ago, wearing nothing but overalls, and Evelyn knew that Ava was going out to the base. There was no point in her going out there now. Ava was preoccupied with that plane of hers, and there was no talking to her then.

Evelyn had hoped that this was the day they would patch things up again. She hated the thought of not becoming friends with Ava before her 23rd birthday tomorrow. Her father would be so disappointed in her.

Evelyn made a promise to herself, that by the end of this day, everything was going to be different. Nothing would be the same between herself and Ava. She wanted that they would have a stronger relationship as the only outcome of this day. But first, a power-nap before heading off to find her sister. She was exhausted. Too exhausted not to hear the planes soaring in the sky. A soaring of danger and devastation.

* * *

Danny and Rafe ended up on the beach after getting into a fight at the bar the night before. They fought mainly because Rafe was angry with his best friend for breaking Ava Johnson's heart. That's not the man he thought Danny was. And it hurt even more that he had kissed Evelyn. And he couldn't stop to think about what would've happened if Ava hadn't caught them in the act.

So, after their fight, they ended up sleeping in the car right by the beach. Rafe would be hungover, but Danny, mostly tired. They were rudely awakened by the sound of planes, and it made Danny groan. Mostly from being tired, but also for being uncomfortable.

"Why the hell's the navy doing practice this early on a Sunday?" Danny said without opening his eyes. Rafe only responded with a huff. Danny turned around, wanting to go back to sleep.

The sound of the first bomb going off, jolted both boys up in their seats. They watched as multiple planes headed towards the harbor. Where the entire fleet was docked. They understood immediately that the war finally caught up with America. They jumped into action as the enemy started to fire at them, and they did everything they could to avoid being shot. A man with a camera jumped into the car with them and took cover in the back seat.

"Go, go, go!" He yelled, holding onto his hat. "I'm with Navy newsreel, and I can tell you one thing… them ain't navy planes!"

Danny chose not to comment on that and concentrating on driving them out of there safely. He had only two things on his mind… he needed to get to the airplanes, and he hoped to god that Ava was somewhere safe.

"They look like Japs." Rafe said as they sped down the road.

"I didn't even know the japs where sore at us!" the man from Navy newsreel said.

"Danny, you just get me to a god damn airplane!" Rafe said, practically hissing. He was angry now, and he wanted to hit them back.

"I hope there's still an airfield left." Danny said, knowing that the Japanese would destroy every American plane.

* * *

Evelyn woke up to the sound of bombs being dropped, and people screaming. What on earth was going on? She couldn't understand… she jumped up and ran outside. She could see the airplanes going towards the harbor, and it shocked her to see it all. The whole fleet was being bombed. She turned around as her fellow nurses ran outside to have a look, and she knew what she needed to do.

"Everybody to the hospital!" She yelled, starting to run down the street. She remembered that Ava would not be there, but she was out at the base… she prayed to god she found a place to hid. She could not bear the thought of losing her younger sister.

"I hope you're safe, Ava. Please be safe." Evelyn chanted under her breath, picking up her running towards the hospital. This day was going to be terrifying, and positively deadly. She hoped she made it to the hospital alive.

* * *

Ava smiled contently, watching her beauty in all her might. Earl had even put ammo into her, not that she needed it, but it wouldn't have felt complete otherwise. She walked out of the hangar and walked towards Earl.

"So, how do you like it?" Earl asked when he saw the huge smile on her face.

"I love it so much! I can't wait to take it out for ride!" Ava said, jumping up and down on the spot.

Earl couldn't help but laugh at her.

"I want to go up there soon. I wanna remember what it felt like, you know. I want to soar through the skies like my dad did with me. I want to do that someday." Ava said, thinking about bringing her son or daughter up in the plane.

"Well, maybe someday you will." Earl said, finding her dreams a little adorable.

"Earl, there's something I need to tell you." Ava started to say as the phone rang, disturbing their talk. For some reason, Ava had a bad feeling about that phone call.

 _"Earl!"_ He practically yelled into the phone.

 _ **"This is Walker! We need the planes loaded and fueled right now!"**_

 _"Danny, what the hell is that noise? Are you doing target practice or something?"_ Ava's stomach started to turn. Something was not right. Something was very wrong. Earl hung up the phone and looked at her with a disturbed look. He didn't say anything but grabbed her arm.

"Earl, what's going on? What did Danny want? Come on, you're scaring me." Ava said, and she looked beyond terrified.

"I need you to go back to your hangar, and get your plane ready." Earl said in a rush.

"Why? What's going on?"

"World War 2 just hit us." Earl explained, and all the color left Ava's face. That had to be a mistake. That couldn't be right.

"But what can I do? I don't have any training!" Ava said, starting to freak out.

"Right now, baby girl, it doesn't matter." Earl said, cupping her face in his hands. "We're at war, and they're coming for us. I need you to get that plane in the air, because I don't know if Danny will be able to get here in time. And I know you know this."

Ava looked at Earl in awe. They had been sitting down late at night, going over combat during World War 1. They had studied because of their common interest. Ava knew she needed do to do what he said, but she was terrified. She remembered the stories her dad told her when she were young. How to do an ambush without the enemy knowing. The skies were thick with clouds, and she knew the area around the harbor better than the enemy. This was a fight of life and death. She knew what she needed to do. Ava wrapped her arms around Earl, hugging him for dear life.

"I know what to do." Ava whispered in his ear.

"Good, now go." Earl said practically pushing Ava away from himself. He needed her to be safe, and right now, with her being in a plane, would be the safest place of all.

Ava opened the door to the hangar and took a deep breath. It was about time to see what this plane to do. Her survival instinct kicked in, and she knew what she had to do. She remembered everything about flying. It was like learning how to ride a bike. You never forgot it. She sat down in the seat, running her fingers over the buttons and controls. It was as if the feeling sat in her very fingertips, and without hesitation, she pushed the button to start the engine. The silence broke, and it roared to life. Oddly, Ava had never felt more alive than she did right now. She wrapped her arm protectively over her belly.

"It's all going to be all right, baby… Mama is about to kick some ass." Ava said to her unborn baby. She would do whatever it took to keep her child safe. She was going to be okay. She was going to show those bastards what Ava Marie Johnson could do. They've poked the mama bear.

* * *

Earl watched as Ava rode the plane out of the hangar and he stopped for a second to look at her. She truly belonged in an airplane. It seemed righter than when the other pilots did.

The best think now, was for Ava to get up in the clouds, and use that as leverage. The Japanese would never suspect for the Americans to be airborne. That would give them an advantage.

"Can you hear me, Angel?" Earl asked through the radio.

"Loud and clear, Earl. Wow… this is the best feeling in the world. You know… if we weren't at war that is." Ava said, trying to lighten the mood.

"Remember what I said, Ava. Stay in the clouds but keep yourself above the enemy at all times… they will focus more on the ground than up in the clouds."

"Got it! Mama Bear out." Ava replied, before going into radio silence. Earl watched as the plane disappeared through the clouds. He prayed silently that she would be okay, but something told him not to be worried about her. If there was something he knew about Ava Johnson; she's a fighter, and a damn good one at that.

Earl shook his head and started barking orders at his employees. This was not a drill, and he didn't need these idiots not doing their jobs.

"I need more ammo! I need more ammo, ladies!" Earl barked as he walked out of the hangar loaded with ammunition. At the same time, a car came in full speed and stopped right in front of him.

"Earl! Are we good to go?" Danny yelled.

"Yeah, mostly but…" Earl started to say but he was cut off.

"Get down!" someone yelled, and they heard the planes over their heads. Earl was pissed off and did the only thing he could think off. He grabbed his shotgun and started firing at them. Not that it did them any good. But somewhere in his mind, it was better that they caught the attention of the Japanese, and not blow Ava's cover.

"Earl, get in here!" Danny yelled at him.

"Hey, sergeant! If they come back around, we need more than a shotgun! You got any other weapons for cover fire?" A man Earl didn't know asked.

"Inside that ammo locker!" Earl answered, pointing somewhere behind them.

"You said that planes are mostly ready but… But what?" Danny said, running up to Earl.

"She's down, she's broke, she's shit. I got four left." Earl told them, pointing at the four planes outside. "One's good to go, two need ammo and one needs fuel."

"What about Ava's plane?" Danny asked him. Earl didn't know what to say.

"That's no good. Besides, it's not even here right now."

The guy he didn't know looked pissed and stressed.

"Fall out and load up in the bunker!" Rafe told them and they all ran out over the strip. Everything was rushed, and they hid behind the bunker trying not to draw attention to themselves.

Danny took the lead, trying to get this all together.

"Anthony, Red, you stay here and man the 50-caliber. Gooz, get to the next bunker and lay down some cover fire." Danny ordered as Gooz fixed his eyes on the sky.

"Planes." Gooz whispered, loading his gun. "Should we fire?"

"Stay down! God damn it! Hold your fire! Stay still, nobody moves." Rafe told them. "They don't know that we're here."

"I don't see any ordinance. I think they're going home." Earl said, hoping for the best.

"No, they'll be back. We still got planes on the ground." Rafe replied, before turning towards the men. "Okay, listen up. Get all the speed you can on the runway, don't get on the stick until the very end. You get in the air, stay low between the buildings. You see any zero on your tail, try to wipe him off, don't freeze. Just keep moving. Try to separate them. Take them out one by one. P-40's can't outrun Zeros so, don't try. We have to outfly them."

"We got high-level bombers!" Earl said, using his binoculars. "They'll bust this hangar wide open!"

Things happened so quickly after that. It was total chaos.

* * *

Ava was flying high in the sky. She felt a little helpless. She didn't know what was going on down there. She dared to go a little lower in the sky, mainly to get a look but then she saw zero's coming towards her, so she disappeared into the clouds again. Her grip on the stick tightened as she held her breath. Did they see her? A few minutes later, Ava knew that she was still unnoticed.

Suddenly, she heard some noise on the radio, and Earl's voice filled her ears.

"Hey, Joe! You got three zeros behind you. Turn, turn!" Earl said, and it made Ava's eye fill with tears. She knew that wasn't good at all. Joe was a nice guy and hearing him screaming, knowing he was going to die, was hard. Then she heard another voice.

"Danny, start that thing up and get in the air. I'm not much good without a wingman. I need you." Rafe said, and Ava knew that it was time to blow her cover.

"I got you. Let's do this!" Danny yelled, and Ava started her journey lower.

"It's real tight, Rafe, real tight." Danny said as they sped down the strip.

Ava watched as Danny and Rafe did their best to get the planes up in the air, but they were tailed by two zeros. Ava broke out behind them and fired. She saw red for what they did to Joe, and they are not going to get the satisfaction and kill her man. The two planes never saw it coming and they fell out of the sky.

Rafe and Danny barely managed to get their planes airborne and looked around quickly.

"Where did they go? Do you see them?" Danny asked looking around.

"No, I don't see them. What the hell happened?" Rafe asked back. Ava decided to cut radio silence and join in.

"Well… it took you boys long enough." Ava said, flying up beside them. Danny looked over at her, and he couldn't believe his eyes.

"Ava, what are you doing?" Danny asked her, petrified.

"Saving your ass, that's what I'm doing. Now, we can talk about this like a bunch of girls, or we can go all postal and kill those bastards!" Ava said, not wanting to argue with Danny right now.

"We got zeros behind us!" Danny called out, and Ava had her heart in her throat. She couldn't die like this. She wouldn't allow it to happen.

"How many do you see back there?" Rafe asked them.

"We got six on our six!" Danny called out.

"Take it down to the deck, now!"

Ava did as Rafe instructed, and dove quickly, hoping to get away from the line of fire.

"We've got to find a way to spilt them up." Ava called out to them.

"All right. Ava. You go straight ahead, Danny go left, I'll go right." Rafe told them, and Ava knew better than to argue.

The zeros had no choice than to spilt up as well. Ava was down to two zeros on her tail. She needed to find a way to get behind them. Ava circled around the watch tower, trying to shake them off.

"Earl! You need to get up in that tower. I don't know if I can shake those bastards off." Ava told him, hoping he could hear her.

"Ok! Let's go! Into the truck!" Earl yelled.

Ava decided to fly away from the strip, knowing that she would have even more advantage out in the open. But she wasn't prepared to see the things she saw. She flew out to the harbor, and it was completely destroyed. The fleet was almost gone. Dead men in the sea and those that struggled to stay alive.

"Oh, my god!" Ava said under her breath. Seeing all of this, made her angry as hell. She was out to kill. In the mayhem of smoke, the zeros lost her, not knowing where she went. She saw Rafe flying straight by her with three zeros on his tail.

"I got you, Rafe!" Ava yelled and flew in behind them. She locked the target and fired away. She let out a scream, as she managed to hit the first one. It fell down in a heap of fire and she gave no more thought to that one. She continued the chase, trying to get the last two. She fired away again and hit yet another one. The last one was shot down by someone on the ground. Talk about team work.

"Rafe… I still got two on my tail!" Danny yelled, and once again, Ava felt terrified. She couldn't lose Danny.

"Danny, don't you dare die!" Ava told him firmly. "Rafe, you're the closest. You help him or so help me god, I will kill you myself!"

* * *

Ava was about to rant some more but was cut off by the sound of shots being fired behind her.

"Son of a bitch!" She yelled, knowing she had someone on her tail. "Earl, I hope to god you have someone in that tower."

"I am working on the tower. 10 stories up. It's a mean son of a bitch." Earl said, almost out of breath.

"Let's play a little chicken on these fuckers." Ava heard Rafe yell, and Ava knew they would be okay. Danny told her about them playing chicken in the past.

"We got them!" Both Danny and Rafe called out in a cheer and Ava was happy about that.

But she was more concerned about the ones tailing her.

"Earl! I'm coming around, you need to be ready. I have two of them and I can't shake them off." Ava told him. She knew that Earl wouldn't let her down, but she was scared, and her adrenaline was pumping.

"We're on the top of the tower." Earl confirmed.

"I'm about ten seconds out, be ready. I'll bring them as close as I can." Ava said, aiming straight for the tower.

"Ava, we're coming for you, okay?" She heard Danny's voice in her ear.

"You won't make it. If Earl doesn't get them, I'm screwed." Ava said and they all knew it.

"We're ready for you, baby girl." Earl said, and she knew better than to question his aim.

She flew towards the tower as quickly as she could, and she could see Earl standing there ready.

"Hold your fire, hold your fire. Here she comes." Earl told them, and Ava saw the tower in a blur as she passed it.

"Fire!" She heard them yell. She was lucky this time. Earl and the others managed to get both of them down. And Ava could finally breathe again.

"That was some good shooting, Earl!" Ava exclaimed happily.

"Are you all right, Ava?" Rafe asked her.

"Yes, I'm fine." She answered, keeping her eyes on the task ahead of them.

"Let's head over to battleship row!"

"I'm with you, Rafe." Both Ava and Danny said at the same time.

"Let's go do some business." Rafe told them approvingly. They were a team. And a pretty damn good one at that.

* * *

"I'm going after them." Danny had the same look in his eyes as Ava did. He wanted to kill as many as possible. They fired away, flying side by side.

"They are trying to disappear into the clouds. We ain't gonna let those suckers go home!" Rafe said, and it was true. Ava could see them trying to get away. Not on their watch.

"How do you like it when someone shoots back at you?" She heard Rafe mumble, but she was on a mission herself. She had one zero plane right in front of her, and the sucker tried to hide in the clouds. Too bad for him, Ava was much more skilled than they knew, and she caught up with him quickly.

"This is for America." Ava said and fired away. The plane tried to do a roll to get behind Ava, but she was quicker and managed to shoot the plane down. "Take that you son of a bitch!"

* * *

Ava looked out and she couldn't see any zeros. It's like they disappeared. They flew around the harbor a few times, just to make sure there wasn't anyone hiding, but it seemed as if the battle was over for now.

"Nice job, Danny." She heard Rafe say.

"Hey, Ava?"

"Yeah?" She answered back, not even bothering to disguise her tears.

"That was some good flying, girl. I've never seen anything like that. I owe you my life. Danny is one lucky son of a bitch."

"Yeah. I think so too."

"See you down there, all right?" Rafe said, but Ava didn't answer. This was the first time since her father died that she was in a plane, doing exactly what he did during World war 1.

She couldn't quite believe that she had just done what she did. She had defended her country.

Both Danny and Rafe's plane hit the ground first. Ava took it easy on the way back. Her hands were shaking so badly, she had to fight to keep her hands steady.

When she finally managed to ground her plane, her eyes were clouding with even more tears. With shaky legs, she stepped out on the wing. She looked around at the damage and the dead people lying around.

But all of that kind of blurred away, as she saw Danny running towards her. She sat down on the wing, starting to slide down it. Danny catches her before she hit the ground. His arms wrapping tightly around her, and he was kissing her all over.

"You are completely insane, but I'm glad you had my back up there." Danny told her holding her tight. Ava pushed back a little, so she could look into his beautiful eyes.

"I love you, Danny Walker. Don't ever leave me." She admitted to him. Danny froze for a second, before finally kissing her again. Ava got some new perspective from this event. She wanted to forget everything that happened in the last few weeks. She wanted her sister back.

Her sister….

"Evelyn…" Ava said, breaking away from Danny. His eyes almost popped out of his head and they looked over at Rafe. He looked just as lost as they did.

"We need to get to the hospital, right now!" Ava said, and Danny grabbed her hand. Together they would go to the hospital, because Ava needed to go and help in any way that she could. She also needed to tell Evelyn that she loves her….

She needed her family back.

* * *

 **Wow! One intense chapter, that was... I hope you enjoyed it. I could have made it longer, but I decided it would be better if I cut it off right there. The next chapter will start with Ava seeing Evelyn again, and we all know that will be emotional.**

 **What did you think of Ava's involvement when it came to the attack? I just want to let you know, I know nothing about combat. I don't know how to fly.. So I just wrote it the best way I could. I know it's not perfect... And I hope that you don't think this was too unrealistic. I know that women didn't fight during WWII.**

 **Oh, well... Let me know what you thought.**

 **Until next time xD**

 ***cathrineoriginal***

* * *

 ***NicoleR85: Thank you so much! I'm glad Rafe is back too, and I hope you enjoyed this chapter as well.**

 ***Dinosaur Imperial Solider: I wrote the one about the attack in one chapter and then I think I'll write another chapter with the aftermath. Ava at the hospital, Ava meeting Evelyn after the attack. Ava having some quality time with Danny. I also want her to meet Dolittle. I think that's going to be fun.**

 ***keykeybaby6: Thank you so much! I'm glad you didn't have to wait too long for the next chapter :)**

 ***Guest: Thank you so much! Like I wrote further up.. The aftermath will be the next chapter. Trying to do two chapters about the attack was difficult. You got your wish. Ava was up in the sky with Rafe and Danny. It was actually very fun to write.**

 ***Gin-Tonic13: Hi! Thank you for your nice review! I'm glad you like Ava. She's not perfect, and I want her to be just that. I think I know how to play it out in the aftermath. It will be sad, though.**

 ***bella1103 loves edward: I'm so glad you liked it! I hope you enjoyed this chapter as well!**


	9. The Aftermath

**Hi everyone! Here's the next chapter! I'm glad you like the last chapter. Now, I give you the aftermath of the attack. I hope you'll like this as well.. please let me know what you think!**

 ** _I do not own "Pearl Harbor" only my OC._**

 ***cathrineoriginal***

* * *

The car ride back took longer than expected. It was obstacles everywhere, and they had to drive around it carefully. Ava looked out on the damage and she could see dead people everywhere. It was a horrible nightmare. And the screaming didn't help. Danny noticed her distress and brought her closer to him, allowing her to bury her face into his chest. Danny repeatedly kissed her head and absentmindedly stroke her arm.

Ava wanted this day to be over. She wanted to see her sister and tell her that she loves her. She wanted to hug Betty and never let go. She really needed a Betty hug right about now. Ava had finally stopped crying, she didn't think she had any tears left. She placed her hand on her belly, hoping that she didn't hurt her little baby by doing all of this. She had to get someone to take a look when the time was right. And it also reminded her that she needed to tell Danny, in case something else happened.

* * *

Finally, the car stopped at the hospital and it was utter chaos. Ava found herself going into "nurse-mode." She looked around at all those injured people that needed help.

"Hey, Ava. Come on." Danny said steering her towards the entrance. The noises and the despair were sickening, and it didn't seem as if it was going to end. She looked around to see if she could see anyone familiar, and finally her eyes landed on her sister. She looked so tired and lost, she almost looked defeated. When Evelyn finally saw her sister, she broke down. Her little sister was safe, and she looked well.

"Ava…" Evelyn exclaimed and dropped everything she had in her hands. Ava let go of Danny's hand to meet her sister. Ava jumped into her big sister's arms and they both cried. So much for thinking she didn't have any tears left.

"I'm so glad that you're okay." Evelyn whispered, holding onto her sister for dear life. "I thought that I would never see you again."

"I'm right here, Evelyn. I'm not going anywhere." Ava told her, and that was the truth. She knew she couldn't live without her sister.

Danny and Rafe broke the Johnson reunion as they walked up to them.

"How can we help?" Rafe asked them, and they both new the answer.

"Blood. We need blood. Come on." Evelyn answered, showing them into a room. Ava wasn't sure that giving blood was the wisest thing to do, considering her pregnancy.

"Nurse Ava!" Someone called from behind them. Ava turned to see Dr. Wellington running towards them. "Thank god you're okay. I need your help with a patient. He's not going to make it, and he's asking for you."

Ava didn't think twice about it and let go of Evelyn and Danny.

"I'll be right back. I promise." Ava told them, before running after the doctor. Ava had a bad feeling about this, and she thought she already knew who it was. Still, she wished she was wrong. Dr. Wellington brought her into the kitchen, which they used for injured soldiers. The screaming and crying were deafening, but that all seemed to go away when she saw him. In the farthest corner, she saw him. Officer Grant. The young boy that she had come to know during her time her.

"Oh, Grant." Ava muttered under her breath. She walked up to him and she could see he was shaking. He was terrified, clinging onto life. She touched his forehead and that made him open his eyes looking around bewildered.

"It's okay, Grant." Ava said softly, trying to ignore the tears in her eyes.

"Nurse Ava is that you?"

"Yes, it's me, Grant. I'm sorry I kept you waiting." Ava told him, caressing his forehead.

"Could you please, write a letter to my mom for me. I know she worries a lot, but I need her to know that I will be okay, that she'll be okay." He stuttered out.

"It will be an honor to do so." Ava replied, and she would honor his wish. It's the least she could do for him. Ava could feel life draining out of him and she knew it wouldn't be long now.

"It's all going to be all right, Grant. I promise. It's okay to let go." Ava said, tears streaming down her face.

"The name's Larry." He coughed out, trying to smile.

"Okay, Larry."

"It doesn't hurt anymore. Maybe I'll get to go home." Grant said with a smile on his face. Then, his whole body went limp and Ava could see the light leave his eyes.

Officer Larry Grant died December 7th, 1941. A hero in Ava's eyes.

"You get to go home, Larry." Ava whispered and kissed his forehead. She looked back at Dr. Wellington, who seemed just as sad as she did. Ava nodded at him, silently telling him to cover him with a white blanket. She would do as he had asked. Ava would make sure that Larry would get home to his parents, and she would write that letter to his mother. That's the least she could do.

* * *

Ava walked out of the kitchen, and she needed to breathe. She needed air, she needed to find Betty to tell her that everything was going to be okay. She had to be here somewhere. Ava walked towards the wing where she had told Betty about being pregnant. Maybe she was tending to the injured soldiers there.

But she wasn't there. Actually… she was nowhere to be found. She should be here, right?

Ava looked around, trying to see some of her fellow nurses, and found Sandra, standing by the cabinets, throwing away used equipment.

"Sandra, have you seen Betty around?" Ava asked, not bothering with asking if she was okay. No one was okay. Sandra looked at her, and her face changed quickly. She didn't say anything but hearing Betty's name made her bawl her eyes out.

"I couldn't help her, there was nothing to be done." Sandra crying and everything inside Ava went cold. Ava turned around quickly and ran through the hall. She needed to see for herself. Sandra must be wrong, Betty was not dead. Ava noticed where they took the dead when they first arrived at the hospital and ran toward that. There was no way.

"Betty!" She practically yelled running by the room where Danny, Evelyn and Rafe was.

"Where is she going?" Danny asked Evelyn, who suddenly gasped.

"Oh no. Danny, we need to go after her. Betty… she didn't make it." Evelyn said quickly, and Danny jumped up without hesitation and they all ran after her.

Ava stopped the second she saw all the bodies, piled next to each other and on top of each other. There was so many, covered in blood, missing limbs, some even decapitated. With her heart in her throat, Ava looked around to see if she could spot Betty.

She couldn't see her, so maybe Sandra was just playing with her. Yeah, that was the best explanation.

She turned around to walk out, when she caught a glimpse of that familiar, blonde hair. Ava felt her throat close up and she found it difficult to breathe.

"No…" She whispered under her breath, as Danny and the others came running inside.

"NO!" Ava screamed launching for Betty, but Danny wrapped his arms around her holding her tight to her chest. Ava completely fell apart, screaming and crying, trying to get away. Danny didn't budge though. He held onto her until she couldn't fight anymore. Her best friend laid there, motionless, staring out into nothing. She wasn't Betty anymore, Ava knew that much, and it hurts so much.

"Come on, let's go." Danny told her, picking her up. Ava held onto Danny, burying her face into his neck. She didn't want to remember seeing her best friend laying there like that. She wanted to remember her as the loving, energic person that she truly was.

Danny took Ava back into the hospital and into the room they were going to give blood. He never let go of her as Evelyn placed the needle into his arm, letting coca cola bottle fill up with blood. Evelyn knew better than to poke Ava with a needle right now.

Ava didn't say a thing. She just stared into thin air, trying to block out the dying man in the room next to them. The priest was saying a prayer, but Ava didn't know what to believe in right now.

Another officer came running into the room, looking bewildered.

"We've got men trapped in the harbor. We need help from anybody that can move." The officer said, and Ava knew Danny needed to go, even thought he didn't want to leave her.

"Go… I'll stay here with Evelyn. There's still a lot that needs help. I'll be fine." Ava assured him. Danny first kissed her forehead lovingly, before kissing her lips.

"I love you, Ava." He whispered.

"I love you too, Danny." Ava responded and watched as Rafe and Danny run after the officer.

All of this was too much for Ava and she ran over to the trash can and emptied her stomach. She hated the feeling of bile coming up her throat, but she just couldn't stop herself.

"My god, Ava! Are you okay?" Evelyn asked her, holding her hair back.

"Evelyn, I'm pregnant." She choked out, and it made Evelyn gasp. She went into big sister – mode and wrapped her arms around her.

"Everything will be okay, Ava. Everything will be okay." Evelyn told her repeatedly. The news of a baby should be joyous, but right now, nothing felt joyous at all.

* * *

Several hours later, most of the patients was either saved or dead. They weren't saved, but everyone in the hospital was tended to. Ava decided to stay and do whatever she could to help, pushing her own grief aside for now. They were all so tired and exhausted, they didn't even know how they could be standing up, but still, they did.

Ava was covered in blood and sweat when Danny finally returned to the hospital. He was crying and that didn't make it easier for Ava not to cry as well. They stayed wrapped up in each other's arms and just held onto each other. Just a few feet away, Rafe and Evelyn did the same thing. Right now, they all needed someone to lean on.

"Come on. Let's get you back to your house." Danny whispered in her ear.

"If it's still there." Ava muttered under her breath. She said goodbye to Evelyn, and they decided to get together after they all tried to get some rest. Not that they would get too much rest after the day they all had.

Walking towards the house, was surreal. Things were so different than yesterday, the things in their lives all seemed like small things now. Their fights and the things that used to matter, didn't seem that huge anymore.

Ava walked up the stairs to her house. It was still standing, and empty. She brought Danny inside and the silence was suffocating.

"I… I'll let you get cleaned up. Have a shower." Danny said, and Ava saw how broken and out of place he was. Ava let out a breath and walked towards him. She grabbed his hand and kissed it.

"I don't want to be alone. Please come with me." Ava pleaded him, and Danny couldn't find it in him to decline. He only nodded and followed Ava into the bathroom. The water started running to get it nice and warm. Despite it being warm outside, Ava was cold to the bone. They silently undressed, before standing under the running water together. Dirt, sweat and blood mixed together down the drain, falling off their bodies. Danny looked into Ava's eyes and her terror mirrored his and they needed to be this close to one another.

"She's gone…" Ava said suddenly. "Betty is gone, and she's not coming back."

Ava was full on sobbing, having trouble breathing. She was having some kind of panic attack, so Danny held onto her as tightly as he could, trying to ease her pain. After what felt like forever, Ava's sobbing seemed to quiet down more and more. Danny kissed her shoulder, her neck, all over her face, before finally finding her lips. They stood there like that for the longest time, just kissing and caressing each other, praising the lord that they survived this day.

* * *

Completely exhausted, they decided to try and get some sleep. The cots weren't the big, but there was no way any of them would be able to sleep alone.

They laid there together all wrapped up in each other, they were facing each other, and no one said anything. Ava knew that she would never leave Danny again.

"You're it for me, you know that, right?" Ava said suddenly, tracing her fingers down his face. "It's you and me now, Danny. This is it… no more…."

"Marry me." Danny said cutting her off. Ava looked at him with a shocked impression. She hadn't expected those words to come out of his mouth. But that is what she wanted.

"Yes." Ava answered with a smile. "Which is kind of good anyway. Because I want to be married before the little one makes its appearance in little over six months' time."

Danny wasn't sure he heard right.

"What?"

"You're going to be a father, Danny. I'm pregnant." Ava answered, placing his hand on her belly.

"Are you serious?" Danny asked in disbelief.

"Yeah. I'm serious." Ava nodded. She expected Danny to freak out, but he just kissed her and held her tightly in his arms. This was the best news he could have gotten after the day they just went through. I was nice to have some good news, knowing that when they woke up tomorrow, the war would hit them in the face again, and all the death and despair would return.

The next morning, Danny found himself waking up sweating profoundly. He turned his head to look at Ava, but she wasn't there. At first, he freaked out, but when he saw her coming out of the bathroom wearing a black dress, he found himself relieved.

"Hey. When did you get up?" He asked, reaching out to her. Ava grabbed his hand, sitting down on the bed.

"A few hours ago. I couldn't sleep, and I promised officer Grant that I would write a letter to his mother. I needed to get that out of the way before it was too much for me." Ava told him. Danny exhaled deeply and placed his hand on her belly.

"How are you feeling?"

"Is there even a right answer for that question?" Ava shot back. She wasn't trying to be mean, but it sure did sound like it.

"No, I guess not." Danny mumbled, sitting up in bed.

"We should finish getting ready. There's going to be a wake for the fallen and this is our chance to say goodbye before the coffins are being shipped back to the mainland. Happy birthday to me, right?" Ava told him. The hurt in her eyes was unbearable. She stepped closer to Danny, letting him wrap his arms around her waist, and she watched as Danny placed his head against her belly. It was something very intimate about this position. It was beautiful, sad and full of love. They didn't want to leave their little bubble, but they needed to face reality on the other side of that door.

"I'm so sorry that your birthday would be celebrated like this. You should be celebrated the way you deserve." Danny told her as he looked up at her.

"I know, sweetheart. Let's not think about that right now, okay?" Ava pleaded.

* * *

Ava and Danny walked hand in hand towards the hangar where the wake was being held out on the air strip. They used that spot because it was the only place big enough for all the coffins, and the fact that they would ship the coffins off right after the wake.

Rafe and Evelyn stood there waiting for them and they looked just as sad. Evelyn wrapped her arms around her sister, trying to contain her tears. Ava was not ready to say goodbye to Betty. She was not ready to face Red. He would miss Betty even more.

It was hard, seeing Red kneeling down at Betty's coffin. He broke down, and Ava couldn't contain her tears. She held onto Danny, trying to find support.

Ava placed her hand on Betty's coffin, looking at the pictures standing there. One of the pictures was of her and Betty at the beach. It was one of their first days here. It seemed like lifetime ago. Danny took a step back and let her say goodbye to Betty by herself.

"Goodbye, Betty. I'll always love you, and I'll always miss you." Ava said, kissing her coffin. This was so final, and she made a promise to herself to visit her grave once she returned to the mainland.

Evelyn stood there, waiting for her. She held out her hand and Ava grabbed it. They stood there silently trying to comfort each other without words. But then, Evelyn remembered.

"Oh! Ava, I'm so sorry about your birthday. I forgot all about it!" Evelyn exclaimed.

"It's all right, Eve… I don't feel like celebrating today anyway. Talk about entering your 23rd year with a bang. Sorry, bad choice of words." Ava said with a sigh.

Ava walked back to Danny, needing to be near him.

"How are you feeling?" Danny whispered in my ear. "Is the baby okay?"

"Yeah, the baby is fine. I'm just sad, that's all." Ava answered. "I can't believe she's gone, you know."

"I know it's hard. But we'll get through this together." Danny said, kissing her head when an officer came towards them.

"Lieutenants Rafe McCawley, Daniel Walker." The man addressed them.

"Yes, Major." Rafe responded.

"You're both going stateside. Fly out in two hours."

"What for sir?" Danny asked.

"Ask Colonel Doolittle on your way back." The Major answered before turning to Ava. "The Colonel came to Pearl Harbor today only to talk to you, Miss. Johnson. He wishes to see you right away."

Ava's heart caught in her throat. She knew that she was in trouble. No Colonel would fly all the way out here, just to talk to a simple nurse from Tennessee. She was in trouble.

"I'll come with you." Danny said, not wanting her to do this alone.

"No. That's okay. You need to get packing. You're leaving soon." Ava told him. She needed to do this alone. And there's no way she would be able to help him pack without breaking down once again. Danny was leaving her, and she didn't know if he was coming back.

* * *

Ava followed the Major over the strip, and into one of the few buildings that wasn't harmed in the attack. Ava was afraid that she would get kicked out of the army because of her involvement with taking down several Japanese planes yesterday. Women weren't allowed in combat.

Ava took a deep breath, as the Major knocked on a door.

"Come." The voice from the inside boomed. The Major opened the door, revealing a little scary man.

"Colonel Doolittle. I give you 1st Lt. Ava Johnson." The Major said before leaving the room.

"Close the door Miss Johnson." Doolittle said without looking at her.

"Yes, of course, sir." Ava said quickly.

"So, you're the girl that took down several zeros during the attack yesterday. Care to explain how that happened?" Doolittle asked.

"Honestly, sir… I'm not quite sure. I've been working on an old P-40 for several months. It was never my plan to use it in combat. I just wanted to fly again. I did it all the time when my father was still alive." Ava told him. "And when Earl told me that the war just hit us, he thought it would be safer for me up in the air, where I would know what to do with myself. I just did what my father taught me to do."

Colonel Doolittle watched her like a hawk. Ava found him intimidating and she didn't know how to read him. She didn't know if he was angry or amused.

"You do realize that women are now allowed to do what you just did for our country, right? That you could be arrested for this?" Doolittle asked her sternly.

"Yes, I do know that. But honestly, sir… if I could go back in time, I wouldn't have done it differently. Because I did what I thought was the best solution to defend my country, and I'm not going to feel guilty about it. I've never been more proud of myself." Ava told him, standing up for herself.

For the longest time, Doolittle didn't say a word, and she was afraid that he would throw her in jail.

"Luckily for you, President Roosevelt see it the same way." Doolittle said, and it surprised Ava beyond words.

"What?" Ava asked in shock.

"The President heard about what you did for our country yesterday, and he wants to award you with a Purple Heart." Doolittle told her and it made Ava's eyes water. This had never happened to a woman before.

"I… I don't know what to say…" Ava said… "Thank you, Colonel Doolittle."

"Don't thank me… you've earned this. Maybe this is the start for women in the army… I bet your father would be proud." Doolittle replied.

"You knew my father?" Ava asked him.

"Yes I did. He is one of the reasons why I wanted to join the army. He was well known for his skills as a pilot. And that's something he passed on to you." Doolittle said putting his hand on her shoulder. "And if I could, I would have you join me on the thing we're planning right now, but I can't."

"I understand. Just promise me one thing… make sure my man gets back to me in one piece. I can't live without him. I need him to bring my child into this world, and I plan to marry him. Just make sure that Danny and the others get home safely."

"I'll do my best." Doolittle told her, and it made things a littler easier for Ava. She gave him a smile and walked out of the office. She didn't want to waste anymore time, when she could be spending it with Danny.

* * *

Danny felt more nervous about leaving for another mission this time around. This time, he was leaving a woman he loves behind, and his unborn child. There was a lot more at steak here than before. He was tempted to turn around, take Ava and hide forever. But that wasn't the man he was brought up to be. he zipped up his bag, taking a deep breath. He had to survive this. He couldn't leave them.

"Hey." Someone said behind him. He knew who she was right away. He turned to look at Ava, who stood there trying to fight her tears.

"Hey…" He responded, not knowing what else to say.

"So, you're really leaving, aren't you?" Ava said, even though she knew that already.

"Yeah, I am." Danny replied. Ava didn't waste another second and practically ran towards him and wrapped her arms tightly around his neck. She wanted to be strong for him, but she couldn't do it. Danny didn't say anything against it and just held her just as tight. Ava pushed back a little, so she could look into those beautiful eyes she knew and loved.

"Promise me that you'll be careful. You're not fighting for yourself anymore. You're fighting for the three of us. I can't do this without you. I don't want to." Ava told him, and Danny could see the tears in her eyes. He didn't say anything but kissed her as passionate as he could. Ava found herself holding onto him for dear life. As if he would disappear into thin air. A knock on the door, broke their embrace, and they both knew it was time. They had to be separated.

Danny grabbed her hand and walked together with her towards the door. Together, they arrived at the air strip, where Rafe and Evelyn was waiting already. They had their own private moment. It seemed as if things were better between them after the attack. Ava found some peace in that, if that could make any sense.

They walked towards the plane together, and Ava didn't know how to handle it. She tried her best to be brave. Suddenly, Danny turned around to face her. He placed his hand gently on her belly looking into her eyes.

"Ava, I love you and I want to marry you. I want our child to know me and I want to know her. Don't tell me how I know it's a girl. I just do. And I promise you, I will do whatever it takes to come back to you." Danny told her, and Ava couldn't hold her tears at bay any longer. She didn't want to sob, but it was hard not to do so. She kissed him again, knowing it was for the last for a long time. She didn't want it to end.

"I love you too, Danny. More than you'll ever know. Take care of my heart out there. It's yours to keep." Ava told him. Danny kissed her again before slowly moving away from her. Evelyn came up to her, she was crying as well. They were both sending their loved ones into war, and they needed each other more than before. They needed each other to get through this.

Ava and Evelyn watched as the plane soared through the air. But Ava felt her heart left with that plane, and she hoped to god, that Danny Walker wouldn't break her heart again.

* * *

 **There it is. It was a hard one to write. Mainly because of what happened back then. All those men who's still inside the Arizona, everything. I know that in the movie, Doolittle didn't go to Hawaii, but I just made it so because it fits better with my story. About that Purple Heart; it's true that the first woman to get it, was the head nurse at Pearl Harbor during the attack.** Lt. **Annie G. Fox.** **At that time the awarding of the Purple Heart did not require the service person to be injured. The requirements were changed after the attack of Pearl Harbor and Lt. Fox was awarded the Bronze Star because Fox was not wounded in the attack.**

 **Anyway... let me know what you thought of this chapter... and do you think Danny will die, or stay alive?**

 **until next time xD**

 ***cathrineoriginal***

* * *

 ***NicoleR85: Thank you so much! I loves the fast of heving Ava up in the air. There's no other place I would want her to be.**

 ***Dinosaur Imperial Soldier: I hope you liked the way I worked in Doolittle. I didn't know how write it differently... I wanted the sister to come out of this with a good relationship. I thought that was best. It wouldn't be the same if they didn't make up.**

 ***Ella: Thank you so much! Here's another chapter!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Hi, everybody...**

 **I hope you all take your time to read this...**

 **I am sad to announce that I'm going to put all my stories on hold for some time, and I don't know when I'll be able to update again. On Monday, my father was rushed to hospital after being sick for some time. And we were told he has cancer, and the prognosis is not good. This is a devastating time for me and my family, and I just don't have it in me to write anything these days. I hope you understand, and gives me the time I need to be with my family at this point.**

 **Sincerely; Cathrineoriginal**


	11. Chapter 11

Hi, everyone...

I know it's been a while, because of my dad's illness.

I'm sad to inform you that my dad passed away June 20th, 2019, and it's been rather difficult ever since. I want to try and come back to my stories, but it might still be awhile before the next update comes along. I need to get my life back together before continuing my stories... but I hope I'll return to you soon...

Sincerely, cathrineoriginal


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